Time Goes On
by JessCM09
Summary: Just a series of fluffy one-shots following our little Prentiss/Jareau family, before we get into our next serious story. Still taking suggestions for moments my readers would like to see! #6 in my Series if you're keeping track!
1. It's a New Year

**HI guys!**

**So I got off to a bit of a slow start with this one and unfortunately updates are going to be pretty slow for the next couple weeks. I'm in the midst of planning a baby shower (going to be an Auntie soon!) and with that and work I'm really having a hard time finding any spare time! But bare with me I promise to do my best not to keep you guys waiting forever! **

**Remember this story is going to be a lot of one-shots. Not really a flowing story, but I plan on keeping them all pretty light and happy! I know you guys are really wanting family moments with the ladies and I will deliver, but if you guys had any other ideas I would love to hear them! As always, thank you for reading! -J**

**Chapter 1- It's a New Year**

The Jareaus had left to return to Pennsylvania on Boxing Day, much to Lily's disappointment, who wasn't ready to leave her buddy Alex. The house became oddly quiet as JJ, Emily and Alex spent their time packing and planning their trip to Chicago. When the family, along with Spencer, had left for Chicago Alex couldn't have been happier, anxious to see her friends and visit her parents' graves.

The few days spent in the city went by quickly, Alex and Rachel playing tour guide as they showed Emily, JJ and Spencer around. The ladies did everything they could think of, and when it was time to go Alex couldn't help but feel slightly bummed out. Emily had taken the teen to the cemetery one last time before they had been forced to head to the airport in order to catch their flight. When they returned home Alex assured Emily and JJ that she had a great time, but she seemed a lot quieter than normal and spent most of the day in her room.

"Are we really going to let Garcia plan our New Years?" JJ asked the next day, sitting down to breakfast with Emily, both enjoying the fact that they had a couple more days off before they had to return to work.

"I told you I don't care what we do," Emily laughed. "Garcia wants us all to get together so I'm just going with it. I told her not to go overboard. Although she did say she'll be here at noon tomorrow to set up."

"Set up what?" JJ asked in disbelief.

"I don't even want to know," Emily replied shaking her head. "Don't worry though, it's just us and the team and I think Alex and the girls. It'll be fine, she can't do too much harm."

"How reassuring," JJ replied sarcastically. "Do you think Alex is okay?" The blonde then asked, having spent much of the previous night worried about the teen. "She seemed so sad last night. I thought that the trip would have been good for her."

"It was," Emily said. "She had a great time, I think it was just hard for her to leave again. She'll be alright, I think she just needed some time to deal, and you know she doesn't like to do that in front of other people."

"Yes this is true," JJ agreed as both women turned their attention to the stairs, hearing footsteps heading towards them.

"Morning kid," Emily greeted as Alex came into view, still rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Hey," she yawned, dragging her feet towards the table where she plopped down on Emily's lap.

"You're very lively this morning," Emily teased, wrapping her arms around the teen's waist and kissing her shoulder, which was covered by Emily's old Yale sweatshirt, which the teen now wore all the time. "Did you not sleep well?"

"Mmm, I don't know," Alex shrugged, grabbing a piece of toast off Emily's plate and taking a bite.

"Would you like breakfast?" Emily laughed.

"Nah, I'm good," Alex smirked, leaning back to rest against the older brunette's chest, appreciating the fact that Emily was allowing her this time to act like a child.

"Well we were just discussing tomorrow night," JJ told her. "Are the girls going to come over?"

"Yeah they'll be here," the teen replied.

"Did you invite Logan?" Emily asked, still unsure if the pair were officially a couple now or not.

"He's got plans with some of his friends," Alex replied. "Plus I didn't want to make him feel like he had to spend it with us. He's always the odd one out with all the girls."

"Aww but don't you want to spend New Years with your boyfriend?" Emily teased, poking the teen in the ribs.

"He's not my boyfriend," Alex replied rolling her eyes and making JJ laugh. "We're still just…whatever we are…I don't know. But it's really not a big deal. I want to spend New Years with the girls and the team. We'll hang out New Years Day or something."

"Well I think that sounds great," JJ smiled. "I'm glad you guys will be here."

"The girls are really looking forward to it," Alex replied. "I'm assuming Garcia has some sort of plan up her sleeve?"

"Knowing her, definitely," JJ laughed. "What do we have on the agenda for today Em?"

"Laundry," Emily replied dryly. "Which means you two need to unpack," she said raising her eyebrow as JJ stuck her tongue out. "I also need to run out and get a few things for tomorrow, and then I thought we could watch some movies or something? Unless you two ladies have better plans."

"Hmm I guess I could hang out with you," JJ teased. "What about you kid? Do you have other plans?"

"Nah, I'll hang out with you guys," Alex replied, smiling as Emily kissed her cheek, looking forward to the family day ahead of them.

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It took a while but Emily eventually convinced JJ and Alex to head upstairs and unpack their things. The older brunette then started a load of laundry before convincing Alex to take a trip to the grocery store with her to grab food for the next night, while JJ stayed at home where she was told to put her feet up and relax.

The pair was at the store for over an hour, choosing a variety of snacks and finger foods for their party, hoping Garcia wouldn't object to them making decisions without her. When they returned home it was to find JJ napping on the couch, snoring lightly. Not wanting to wake the blonde, Emily and Alex headed down the hall to the game room where they spent the early afternoon playing video games.

"Hey why didn't you two wake me?" JJ asked over an hour later, as she stood in the game room doorway; one hand on her hip.

"You looked so peaceful," Emily replied, keeping her eyes on the screen, where she was currently beating Alex in the teen's favourite game, Mario Kart. "Plus you need your rest baby."

"And I finally convinced Emily to play with me," Alex added, a look of determination on her face as she attempted to overtake Emily's character.

"Is she actually beating you?" JJ asked surprised, walking into the room and taking a seat beside Alex.

"You know you don't need to sound so surprised," Emily scoffed, moving to sit at the edge of her chair, getting excited as she neared the end of the race, still in the lead. "Oh, oh….I got it!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air as, Alex stomped a foot on the floor as she realized she had lost. "I finally beat you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Alex said, putting down the controller and shaking her head.

"Aww don't be a sore loser," Emily teased, grabbing the teen and pulling her into a hug. "You want a rematch?"

"A rematch…oh well…weren't we supposed to have a movie day?" She asked with a smile, not wanting to lose to Emily again. "Let's go pick something out," she suggested trying to get up from the couch, but still being held down by Emily's arms around her.

"Nope," Emily replied, holding onto the teen tightly. "Not until you admit that you're afraid you'll lose to me again."

"I'm not," Alex disagreed. "I was just really looking forward to our movie day, and I don't want to leave JJ out," the teen lied, trying not to laugh.

"Oh really?"

"Really," Alex replied, her resolve beginning to crack under Emily's intense stare, finally breaking as Emily began poking her side, making her laugh. "Okay, okay," she cried, trying to catch her breath as Emily continued to tickle her. "Okay I don't want...to…lose again," she admitted between laughs. "Please…stop!"

"Thank you," Emily laughed, kissing the teen's forehead before finally releasing her hold. "Now since I won I get to pick the movies."

"What? No way!" JJ argued, instinctively knowing that she wouldn't like the brunette's choice. "That's not fair."

"Too bad," Emily replied, bolting from the couch and running towards the family room childishly. JJ and Alex followed the older brunette down the hallway, shaking their heads and rolling their eyes as they found the woman in the family room already pulling DVDs off the shelves.

Though there was much arguing, JJ and Alex eventually agreed to watch Star Wars since Emily insisted that Alex simply could not go on having never seen the movie. Slightly entertained by Emily's excitement about the movie, everyone hunkered down on the couch, Alex settling down between the two older women, who shared a loving smile over the teen's head.

The ladies spent the afternoon snuggled up on the couch, taking a break only to make dinner (macaroni and cheese), which they enjoyed in front of the TV, watching another one of the Star Wars movies. It wasn't until later that night, when the only light in the room was the soft glow of the TV, that JJ looked down to find that Alex had fallen asleep leaning against her; the teen's legs draped over Emily's lap.

"I think we've lost her," JJ whispered to Emily.

"Hmmm?" Emily replied, turning her attention from the television to look towards the blonde, smiling at the sight of Alex fast asleep. "She's so cute when she sleeps," Emily smiled.

"She looks just like her mom," JJ said, a warm smile on her face.

Emily couldn't help but smile, loving hearing how the young teen looked so much like her. "Today was really nice," the brunette then said, rubbing a hand up and down her daughter's leg.

"It was," JJ agreed, running her hand through Alex's long, dark hair. "I could definitely get used to days like today."

"Me too," Emily smiled. "I think I would be perfectly happy if this year was filled with nothing but days like today."

"Yes expect soon there will be one more amongst us," JJ pointed out, resting a hand on her growing baby bump.

"Which will make it even more perfect," Emily said with a smile, looking forward to the day when the baby would join their little family. "I honestly can't wait Jen."

Jj simply smiled in reply, continuing to run her fingers through Alex's hair as she imagined this same night happening with a baby dozing in Emily's arms. "I hope it's a boy," she eventually whispered.

"Me too," Emily agreed. "And I hope he has your eyes," she added, making the blonde smile.

"You know we should probably get this one to bed," JJ then suggested, gesturing to Alex.

Emily nodded, shaking the teen's leg. "Lex," she called. "Sweetie come on, time for bed."

"Hmm?" Alex mumbled, turning so her face was now pressing into the back of the couch.

"We're going to go upstairs," Emily explained. "You'll be more comfortable in your bed," she said, receiving no reply. "Lex come on," she tried again, pulling the teen into a sitting position, Alex's eyes still firmly closed, as her head lolled to the side.

"Sleeping," Alex grumbled as Emily put an arm behind her back, the teen reaching up to wrap her arms around the older brunette's neck.

"You are way too old for this," Emily said, shaking her head as she kissed the teen's head before putting an arm under her legs and lifting her from the couch.

JJ laughed as Emily lifted the relatively light teenager, turning off the TV and lights before following the two brunettes up the stairs where she found Emily tucking Alex into her bed. The blonde stood, leaning on the doorframe as she watched Emily pull the covers up over Alex, taking a moment as she stroked the teen's hair, kissing her cheek before getting up and making her way over to the door.

"Yep, I could definitely get used to nights like this," JJ smiled before pulling Emily into a loving kiss.

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Garcia arrived in the early afternoon, excited about the night ahead. While Emily and JJ worked in the kitchen, planning finger foods and other various snacks for the night, Garcia recruited Alex to help her decorate the family/dining room. Emily and JJ weren't sure why they had to decorate when it was just the team and Alex's friends coming over but they weren't about to argue with their blonde friend, who was far too excited. Garcia also had games planned, setting up a table for beer pong, which she insisted could be played with soda or juice for those underage or with-child.

Alex's friends arrived around 6pm, heading down to the game room while they waited for the team to arrive. Hotch and Haley were the first to get there just before 7pm, explaining that they had just dropped Jack off with Haley's parents for the night. By the time the rest of the team had arrived Garcia had put on some music and dragged the 4 teenage girls back into the main room, while JJ and Emily had put out the food and served drinks.

"Oh scores again!" Alex yelled some time later, having just sunk a ping-pong ball into one of Morgan's cups. "Drink up," the teen said before high-fiving Olivia who was her partner, laughing as Garcia handed Morgan the cup, which he immediately downed.

"You know I'm not sure I like that my kid is this good at this game," Emily said from where she was watching the game with JJ and Zoey.

"Relax I'm only drinking soda," Alex pointed out. "Plus the winner gets to play Haley and Hotch, and I want that to be me," she said, laughing as Garcia threw one of the balls way past the table. "Hey where's Spencer?"

"She's playing chess with Reid," JJ replied, glancing over at the couches where the two Spencers were both leaning over Emily's chessboard.

"Of course she is," Olivia laughed, as Morgan sunk his shot. "I think this one's yours Lex."

"You know Em I think it's a good thing Lex is so good at this game," JJ said. "I mean that way when she starts going to parties she'll hardly ever be the one drinking," the blonde teased, laughing at the horrified look on the brunette's face.

"That doesn't make me feel better at all," Emily replied shaking her head. "I think I'll go watch the chess game."

Alex and Olivia went on to beat Morgan and Garcia before just barely losing to Hotch and Haley; Hotch surprisingly good at the game. Hotch then challenged Emily and JJ, arguing that Emily could do all the drinking; Alex and her friends standing by to watch. The match got intense, but Emily and JJ eventually persevered as JJ threw the game-winning shot. As the couple celebrated, outwardly gloating, Garcia turned off the music in order to put on the countdown, insisting that they needed to make sure they got the official count to midnight.

As Times Square filled the television, Emily began pouring glasses of champagne (and sparkling cider for JJ); the blonde handing each guest a glass so they could toast to midnight.

"I think that you girls can have some champagne just this once," Emily said handing Alex, Spencer, Olivia and Zoey half filled flutes of the bubbly liquid.

"Cool," Olivia exclaimed, immediately moving to down the drink.

"Hey," JJ interrupted, grabbing the blonde's arm before the glass could reach her mouth. "You have to wait for midnight," she laughed as Garcia gave everyone the 1-minute warning. "You girls watch her," she said before going to join Emily by the couch.

Everyone gathered around the family room JJ with Emily, Hotch with Haley, and Garcia with Morgan, while Reid and Rossi stood off to the side; Alex and the girls gathered together excitedly.

"30 seconds," Garcia called as they all began counting down.

"Our first new year together," Emily whispered into JJ's ear.

"Our first new year as a family," JJ smiled before rejoining in the group's countdown.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1….HAPPY NEW YEAR," they all yelled, clinking glasses together and downing their drinks before hugs and kisses were exchanged.

As soon as she drank her champagne, Emily had pulled JJ into a searing kiss, ignoring for a moment, the fact that she was in a room full of people as she attempted to throw all her emotions into one kiss. The pair were oblivious to those around them as they continued to embrace sharing a kiss, which to them represented the year ahead of them.

"Oh God could you two be a little less embarrassing," Alex eventually called, causing the two to break their kiss, JJ blushing embarrassingly while Emily simply rolled her eyes at her daughter. "There are other people here you know," the teen teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Emily replied, releasing her hold on JJ's waist in order to grab her daughter. "Come here you," she said pulling the teen into a hug. "Happy New Year baby," she said kissing the teen's cheek as JJ did the same, joining in their little hug.

"Happy New Year you weirdos," the teen laughed throwing her arms around both women's necks. "I love you guys."

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It was after 2am by the time Alex and her friends made it upstairs, changing into their PJs before getting into their beds for the night. Olivia and Zoey, who were sleeping on mattresses on the floor had fallen asleep quickly, their breathing evening out as Spencer and Alex tried to get comfortable in Alex's bed.

"Tonight was a lot of fun," Spencer whispered turning to face Alex.

"It was," Alex agreed, mirroring her friend's position in order to face her. "I'm really glad you guys are here."

"Me too," Spencer replied, her smile evident in her voice even though Alex couldn't see it in the dark. "I love hanging out with your family," she then said making Alex smile. "You know I was a little worried about you after the trip. You seemed pretty upset when we left."

"I had a really great time," Alex replied. "But I didn't think it would be so hard to leave again. I was a little sad but I'm okay now," she explained. "I'm really glad you came with us though. I liked getting to show you around and everything."

"Me too," Spencer agreed. "I had a really good time," she said, sleepily. "I'm really glad you moved here Lex. You're my best friend you know."

"I know," Alex yawned. "You're mine too," she said, reaching out and grabbing her friend's hand.

"Night Alex."

"Night Spence," Alex replied sleepily, still holding her friend's hand as she began to drift off.

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The team had left shortly before Alex and her friends headed upstairs, Hotch and Haley leaving first, followed by Rossi who had offered to drive Reid. Since they had both had too much to drink, Garcia and Morgan took Emily and JJ up on their offer to spend the night; the pair eventually following JJ upstairs where she made up the guest room for them.

Emily, who was slightly buzzed, had decided to check in on the girls, standing in the doorway watching all four teens sleep peacefully. The brunette had fallen into a daze, still standing and watching the girls when JJ came up behind her some ten minutes later, snapping Emily from her thoughts as she snaked her arms around the brunette's waist.

"You ever wonder about those two?" The blonde asked.

"Garcia and Morgan?"

"No," JJ laughed. "Well yeah. But I meant Spencer and Alex," she said nodding her head towards the sleeping pair whose hands were still interlocked.

"Jen they're best friends," Emily replied, tipping her head back to meet the blonde's gaze.

"I know," JJ nodded. "I believe that's how we got our start though," she pointed out. "Have you really never wondered about it? Even after Chicago?"

"Do I think her and Spencer are incredibly close? Yes. Do they remind me a little of us before we got together? Yes," Emily explained in reply. "But she's fourteen and she has her first major crush on a boy. And Logan's great. I really like him."

"Yeah…" JJ agreed. "Me too."

"Who knows what could happen though," Emily said, reaching forward to pull the bedroom door shut quietly before turning to fully face the blonde.

"Yeah, they may figure it all out eventually," JJ replied with a smile, liking the idea of Alex and Spencer as a couple.

"Maybe," Emily smiled. "But for now let's just let them be friends okay?"

"Okay," JJ sighed dramatically, taking Emily's hand and leading her down the hall towards the master suite. "You know I was thinking about how we could spend our first night of the new year together," she then said, pulling Emily into the room and closing the door behind them.

"Oh yeah?" Emily replied. "Any ideas?"

"Plenty actually," JJ smiled before pulling the brunette into a kiss.

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**Before I introduced Logan into the story some of you had liked the idea of Spencer and Alex getting together, so I just couldn't resist giving a little tease of that. Who knows what may happen with those two! Guess I will just have to keep writing so we can find out!**


	2. Be Mine

**Hey Guys!**

**So some of you might hate this chapter but I just want you guys to keep in mind what Emily said in the last chapter: Alex has her first real crush on a boy. There's no feelings there for Spencer…YET! So just stick with me guys..please!**

**You all seem to want to read about the baby, to get some family time, date night for Emily and JJ, and I'm getting a lot of requests to put JJ in danger. So I'm working on it! I've got a busy week coming up but I will do my best!**

**Thanks so much for reading! -J**

**Chapter 2- Be Mine**

It happened while Emily and JJ were away on a case. They had left on a Thursday night, leaving Alex with the Hastings as usual, informing Veronica that the teen had permission to go out with Logan that Saturday night, but needed to be home by 10pm at the latest.

Logan's brother Luke had once again volunteered to drive the teens who were going to go bowling; something, which Alex wasn't all that confident about. But despite her misgivings, Alex was excited for her date and spent most of the day talking about it with Spencer while the pair did their homework.

When it came time Spencer helped Alex straighten her hair and put on a little makeup before the girls picked out an outfit that would be suitable for bowling. Dressed and ready to go the pair headed downstairs where Veronica was getting dinner ready for the Hastings.

"When is Logan picking you up Alex?" Veronica asked when the teens came into view.

"He should be here any minute now," Alex replied as she and Spencer took seats at the kitchen island.

"Alright and you'll be home by 10pm?" She verified.

"Definitely."

"Okay," Veronica nodded. "And if you need anything, or you need a ride for whatever reason I'll be home so just call and I will come get you. Got it?"

"Got it," Alex smiled as the ringing of the doorbell filled the house.

Veronica and Spencer had followed Alex to the door spending a few minutes talking with Logan before letting the pair head out. Unlike on their first date Alex and Logan spent the entire drive to the bowling alley talking to each other and Luke. Luke dropped the pair off, saying he would be back by 9:30pm, going to pick his girlfriend up to hang out for the night.

"So do you want to grab some burgers or something before we play?" Logan asked as he opened the door for Alex, following her into the bowling alley and taking her hand.

"Sounds perfect," Alex smiled, squeezing Logan's hand as he led her towards the restaurant.

After ordering and receiving their food the pair found a table, sitting across from each other with smiles on their faces.

"So where's your mom this time?" Logan asked as he popped a french fry into his mouth.

"New York," Alex replied, swallowing a bite of her burger. "They've been gone since Thursday and from what I've heard it hasn't been going great."

"Man I can't even imagine doing that job, it's gotta be so hard" Logan said. "It's so cool though. I mean your moms are seriously awesome."

"Oh God don't let them hear you say that," Alex laughed. "I mean they definitely are, but I prefer not to give them big heads."

"Good plan," Logan laughed as they both continued with their meals. "What were your adopted parents like?" Logan asked a few minutes later, surprising Alex, who froze mid-chew. "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that. I was just wondering. We can talk about something else," the blonde began to stutter, thinking he had upset Alex.

"No, no, it's okay," Alex shook her head, snapping out of her surprise. "They were really great," she eventually told him. "We were really close. I mean my mom supported me in everything; she was seriously amazing. And my dad….he was just such a great guy. He was one of those people who always found the positive in everything. I seriously think he was the happiest person I've ever known," she said, a wistful smile on her face. "They were really happy together too."

"You must miss them a lot," Logan said.

"Everyday," Alex nodded. "But I'm a lot happier than I ever thought I would be. I mean after I lost them I didn't think I would ever be able to feel like this again," she explained. "Emily and JJ have made things easier for me though."

"I can tell," Logan smiled. "I mean you really seem to love them. You definitely have a better relationship with them than most kids our age have with their parents."

"That's probably true," Alex laughed. "So are you ready to watch me humiliate myself or what?" She then asked, noticing that they had both finished their meals and gesturing towards the bowling lanes.

"Oh for sure," Logan replied with a laugh.

The teens cleaned up their table before going to grab a pair of shoes and a lane, Alex feeling slightly nervous, but deciding that she was just going to enjoy herself no matter how badly she played. The brunette started out pretty rough, but after a few bad throws she finally found a rhythm, improving a little more each turn she took.

"Could we maybe take a break?" Alex asked, after their 2nd game in which she just barely lost.

"Yeah of course," Logan agreed. "Do you want a soda?"

"That'd be great," Alex replied with a smile as Logan immediately headed for the concession stand to grab drinks.

"You know I'm really sorry I wasn't able to spend New Years with you," Logan said when he returned, handing Alex her drink before taking a seat next to her.

"Oh it's okay," Alex assured him. "You already had plans. It's not a big deal, I understood."

"I know, but I really wanted to be able to spend the night with you," Logan said. "There was something I was really hoping to talk to you about that night," he explained, looking suddenly nervous.

"Oh…what did you want to talk about?" Alex asked, confused by Logan's sudden change in demeanor.

"Well…I want to ask you…" Logan began. "Um if you…uh…Well I wanted to ask if you'd…be my girlfriend." Logan spit out, looking up to find a huge smile on Alex's face, immediately easing his nerves.

"I'd love that," Alex replied happily.

"Really?"

"Really," Alex repeated before leaning forward and meeting the blonde boy's lips with hers.

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Alex was giddy by the time she returned to the Hasting household, having had shared a sweet kiss with Logan in the driveway and waving him off before running inside. The teen found Spencer watching a movie in the family room, a confused look on her face at the sight of Alex walking in with a big smile on her face.

"Good date?" Spencer asked.

"Best. Date. Ever," Alex replied, flopping down on the couch beside her friend. "He asked me to be his girlfriend."

"What? Oh my God!" Spencer exclaimed. "You said yes right?"

"Obviously," Alex laughed. "He is officially my boyfriend."

"Oh my God," Spencer repeated, making Alex laugh. "That's so exciting! You guys are so cute together," she said. "Oh man wait till you tell the girls. Olivia will lose her mind."

"Oh definitely," Alex agreed, a big smile still on her face as she checked the time on her watch. "Listen I'm gonna run upstairs and call Emily. I promised I'd let her know when I got home."

"Plus you want to tell her right?"

"Kind of," Alex nodded. "It'll totally freak her out," she laughed. "You wanna watch a movie before bed?"

"Sure," Spencer agreed. "I'll come up in a little bit."

Alex ran up the stairs, hitting Emily's speed dial on the way, putting the phone to her ear as she entered Spencer's bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

"Hey babe," Emily greeted, picking up on the 3rd ring. "You back at the Hastings?"

"No Logan's brother actually let us borrow the car, so we're just out joy riding," Alex replied, trying not to laugh. "I just thought I'd let you know."

"Ha ha," Emily replied sarcastically. "You're hilarious kid."

"Thanks," Alex laughed, lying down on Spencer's bed.

"So did you have a nice time?" Emily asked, mirroring Alex's position in her hotel room, sitting in bed next to JJ who was reading over a file.

"I had such a good time," Alex replied, her smile evident in her voice. "Actually that's why I called. I wanted to tell you something."

"Oh? What?"

"Logan asked me to be his girlfriend," Alex told her, receiving silence in reply. "Emily?"

"Sorry…I'm here," Emily replied. "Your girlfriend huh?" She said, looking to JJ whose eyes immediately widened as she broke out in a smile. "I take it you said yes?"

"I did," Alex answered, trying not to laugh at the obvious hesitation in Emily's voice. While she knew that Emily liked Logan, she also understood that the older brunette was a little freaked out about the idea of her having a boyfriend, constantly telling her that she was still so young. "Is that okay?" She asked.

"What? Of course!" Emily assured her quickly. "Logan is a great guy," she said. "And I know how much you like him. I'm happy for you sweetie."

"Thanks," Alex replied with a smile. "I really want to tell you about it, but I want to wait till you're home so I can tell JJ too."

"I look forward to hearing all about it," Emily said. "You sound really happy."

"I am," Alex told her. "Do you think you guys will be home soon?"

"I'm not sure yet hun," Emily replied. "We've still got a lot to figure out, but hopefully we'll catch a break soon."

"I hope so too," the teen agreed. "I'm gonna watch a movie with Spencer though, so I'll let you go. Will you call me tomorrow?"

'Of course."

"Alright well give JJ a hug for me and tell her I miss her," Alex said. "I love you."

"Love you too sweetie," Emily replied. "I'll talk to you soon."

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"So he finally popped the question?" JJ asked as soon as Emily hung up the phone, laughing at the horrified look on the brunette's face.

"Can you please not say it like that? It sounds like he proposed," Emily replied, placing her phone on the bedside table before crossing her arms over her chest.

"Aw come on Em, it's not so bad," JJ said pulling one of the brunette's arms away from her chest. "I mean we knew this was probably going to happen. And we like Logan remember? He's a really nice kid."

"I know," Emily sighed. "But couldn't they just keep being friends? She's so young."

"Are you trying to tell me you didn't have boyfriends at her age?" JJ asked.

"No I did, which is exactly what scares me," Emily said, sounding exasperated. "I know what I was like when I was that age. 14, 15 I was never up to any good, and guys almost always had a hand in that."

"Em, I don't think I need to tell you that Alex's childhood has been completely different than yours," JJ said, turning the brunette's face towards her. "When you were her age you were still fighting for your parents attention. Alex has us and she knows that. She's a good kid you just need to trust her."

"I know," Emily relented, resting her head on the blonde's shoulder. "I'm glad she's so happy, I just wasn't ready for this."

"I know," JJ replied, trying not to laugh as she placed a kiss on the brunette's head.

"You know this kind of puts a damper on your ideas about Alex and Spencer getting together," Emily pointed out, continuing to rest her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, sighing as the blonde began to stroke her fingers through her hair.

"Oh I'm not giving up hope on that one yet," JJ assured her. "Sometimes it takes dating other people to figure out who you're really supposed to be with. They'll get there eventually," the blonde explained confidently.

"Oh okay then Agent Jareau, whatever you say," Emily teased.

"Oh you just wait and see Agent Prentiss," JJ said, poking the brunette's side. "I'm always right."

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"Lex we're home," Emily called as she and JJ walked into the house late Monday afternoon.

"Hey!" Alex greeted excitedly coming around the corner and immediately throwing her arms around Emily's neck. "I missed you guys," she said, releasing Emily so she could give JJ a hug as well.

"We missed you too kiddo," JJ replied, kissing the teen's cheek. "And I've been dying to hear all about your date."

"Good because I've been waiting to tell you," the teen said with a smile, taking JJ's bag and putting it down by the stairs before grabbing the blonde's hand. "Come on, get your stuff later. Come sit in the living room so I can tell you," she said, already pulling the blonde. "Come on Emily."

"I'll be right there," Emily replied seeing Sergio coming down the stairs and going to grab the kitten. "Hey Serg, did you miss me?" She cooed as she picked him up, smiling as he immediately began to rub his head against her face. "What do you think about our girl having a boyfriend buddy?" She whispered to the cat. "Makes me nervous too," she continued as if Sergio had answered. "But we're happy for her….definitely happy for her."

"Emily!" Alex called from where she was sitting on the couch with JJ.

"Sorry, I'm coming," Emily yelled back, taking Sergio with her as she walked into the family room, ignoring JJ's knowing grin as she took a seat on Alex's other side. "So let's hear it," she said, sounding more enthusiastic than she felt.

Happy to finally be able to tell the two women about her date, the teen immediately dove into her story, not leaving out a single detail. She explained how sweet Logan had been, asking about her parents and how much fun she had had bowling.

"So we took a break and he told me how he had really wanted to spend New Years with me," Alex explained. "I told him it wasn't a big deal, and he said he really wanted to ask me something that night," she continued as both women listened attentively, a big smile on JJ's face. "And then he asked me to be his girlfriend."

"What a sweet guy," JJ gushed. "I can't believe you have your first boyfriend. I'm so excited for you. I remember my first boyfriend," the blonde said. "Tommy Grey. I was 15 and he was a senior. I remember being really happy that year."

"Why did you guys break up?" Alex asked.

"He went away to college and I fell for Erica Martel," JJ replied, making Alex laugh.

"You're awful quiet Emily," Alex then said, turning to the brunette who was still snuggling Sergio, having not said anything since the teen started her story.

"Hmmm? Oh sorry," Emily said, snapping out of her daze. "I'm really happy for you babe."

"Are you sure about that?" Alex laughed, understanding Emily's obvious hesitation.

"Of course I am sweetie," Emily assured the teen, letting Sergio go and taking Alex's hand. "I promise I am. I mean I'm a little freaked out yes, but I swear to you I'm happy for you," she said, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Alex smiled. "My dad would have been the same way. He always used to say I wasn't allowed to date until I was 30."

"That's not a bad idea," Emily joked, before pulling the teen towards her. "I'm glad you're so happy."

"Thanks."

"And I think we should have Logan over for dinner sometime soon," Emily suggested.

"I agree," JJ added.

"That sounds good, I'll ask him," Alex agreed. "But for tonight how about we cook something together. Just the three of us."

"I like the sound of that," Emily smiled. "Sounds absolutely perfect."


	3. Date Night

**Before I start I just want to say a quick thank you to O.T, who gave me some wonderful ideas for this story, one of which will be in this chapter, and others which I will be using later on!**

**I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter so I really hope you guys will like it! This week will be busy, but I will do my best to find some time to write!**

**Only 3 more sleeps till season 10! -J**

**Chapter 3- Date Night**

"I'm taking JJ out on a date," Emily told Alex one Wednesday night as the pair strolled around their local grocery store. "This Saturday if we don't get called away again."

The team had just gotten back from LA where they had spent the last 4 days hunting down their latest unsub. Returning home in the morning while Alex was still at school, Emily and JJ had immediately fallen into bed, their lack of sleep on the case catching up to them; not waking up until Alex had returned home from school. Since no one had been home for most of the week, their refrigerator was mostly empty, save for a few beverages, prompting Emily to drag Alex out to the grocery store with her while JJ stayed home to rest.

"Where are you going to take her?" Alex asked, grabbing a box of her favourite cereal off a shelf.

"A friend of mine owns a restaurant downtown," Emily replied. "Really nice place, and almost impossible to get a reservation at."

"Unless you know the owner," Alex smiled.

"Exactly," Emily nodded. "And after dinner I was going to take her out dancing."

"Dancing?" Alex repeated, raising an eyebrow in a very Emily-like manner.

"Yes," Emily laughed. "She always used to talk about how much she loves to dance, but since she's pregnant I'm not about to take her out to a club. I found this class for couples not far from the restaurant. It's ballroom dancing but I think she'll like it," she explained as they continued through the aisles.

"That sounds really nice," Alex smiled. "I'm sure JJ will love it, and I can make myself scarce that night," she said. "I'll stay at Spencer's or with one of the other girls."

"Thanks," Emily replied, excited by the prospect of a romantic night with JJ. "I could use your help during the day though," she told the teen, earning a confused look in reply. "I really want to surprise Jen with all of this, but it's kind of hard to do that when we're always together," the older brunette explained. "I was kind of hoping that maybe you could ask her to do something with you during the day. I need to go out and deal with some things before dinner."

"I could do that," Alex quickly agreed. "I kind of wanted to go to the mall so maybe I could just ask her if she'll take me? I mean I know she's been talking about needing some things herself. I'll tell her I want the two of us to have a day or something."

"That would be perfect," Emily smiled. "She'll love that."

"Well then it looks like we have a plan," Alex grinned, excited to be able to help surprise the blonde.

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"Thanks for doing this," Alex said as she and JJ walked through the mall that Saturday afternoon, shopping bags in hand. "I mean I love Emily but she doesn't quite enjoy spending time at the mall the way you do."

"Yeah she prefers to get what she needs and get out, unless it's shoes," JJ laughed. "Plus she's taken to online shopping now."

"Which so isn't the same thing," Alex said. "Being at the mall is the best part of shopping."

"I'm with you kid," JJ agreed with a smile. "Plus I'm really glad you asked me to bring you. It's really nice getting to spend time together; just us."

"It is really nice," Alex smiled. "And what's even nicer is that we have Emily's credit card," she joked. "And I need new boots." She said pointing to the nearby shoe store.

JJ followed the young brunette into the store, the pair heading for the boots in search of a pair the teen could wear to school. It was nearly a half an hour later when the two females finally walked back out, each with a new bag in their already full hands as Alex found new boots and JJ grabbed a pair of flats she could wear to work since her heels were getting to be uncomfortable.

"You know I think we've done some serious damage today," JJ laughed, gesturing towards the amount of bags the pair were holding between the two of them.

"You're probably right," Alex quickly agreed, just as they came up to a baby-clothing store. "Oh but can we go look in here? Please? We'll just look."

"Oh alright," JJ replied, unable to say no to the teen's begging eyes.

The pair walked into the store, immediately getting swept up in the tiny adorable outfits the store had to offer. They walked around, randomly picking up things and showing them to each other, both caught up in the excitement of the months to come.

"You must be getting pretty excited about the baby," Alex said as she and JJ looked through a table of onesies. "I mean May is only like four months away."

"Honestly I can't wait," JJ replied wistfully. "It seems kind of surreal though. I mean I obviously know I'm pregnant," she joked, gesturing to her growing stomach. "But I still have a hard time believing I'm going to have a baby. I'm still really nervous about it," she admitted.

"You're going to be amazing," Alex assured her. "If there's one thing I know it's that you and Emily make great parents," she smiled as JJ tried to blink away the tears that immediately filled her eyes at the teen's sweet words.

"Thanks Lex," the blonde said emotionally.

"Do you think you'll find out what you're having?" Alex then asked, trying to keep the conversation light for the overly-emotional blonde.

"I've been thinking about that a lot," JJ replied. "I want to, but I want to check it over with Em first. But if she agrees I can find out during my next ultrasound."

"Could I come?"

"Of course," JJ smiled. "Obviously the big sister needs to be there," she said, making the teen smile.

"Man I hope it's a girl," Alex said, picking up a pink onesie to admire. "Oh but a boy would be so fun too," she exclaimed, seeing a tiny Reid-like sweater-vest.

"Well chances are it'll be one or the other," JJ laughed. "Honestly I'd be happy with either one, but for some reason I keep envisioning a little boy running around the house."

"Oh yeah and does this little boy have blonde hair and really blue eyes?" Alex laughed, trying to envision a baby that would look like JJ.

"Usually," JJ smiled. "You know I think you're going to make a great big sister Lex," the blonde then said seriously. "I'm really glad you'll be there for whoever this little one turns out to be."

At this the teen broke out into a large smile, reaching out and taking one of the blonde's hands despite the many bags they were both holding. "Me too JJ."

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"So have you thought about names at all?" Alex asked as she and JJ began pulling their shopping bags out of the car, now parked in their driveway.

"My grandfather's name was Henry and we were really close before he died so I've always favoured that for a boy," JJ replied, handing Alex another bag.

"And if it's a girl?"

"Ummm I think Sophia, or maybe Charlotte," the blonde said. "Although I have to talk to Emily about names still."

"Oh I love the name Charlotte," Alex said excitedly, as she shut the car door and the pair headed for the house. "It's so cute!"

JJ smiled, pulling out her keys as they approached the front door. Knowing that the first part of Emily's surprise date night would be waiting in the foyer, Alex stepped back, wanting the blonde to enter the house first so she would see. Unlocking the door and opening it, JJ immediately noticed a black garment bag hanging on the door of the front closet, an envelope with her name taped to the front.

"What's this?" JJ asked, looking confused.

"Beats me," Alex lied with a shrug, trying to suppress her smile.

Intrigued, JJ grabbed the envelope, pulling out the note and reading it out loud. "Jennifer put this on tonight and be ready for 6pm, Emily," she read, reaching out to unzip the garment bag, revealing a royal blue dress. "Oh wow," the blonde gasped.

"Well my work here is done," Alex smiled, happy about the blonde's reaction to the dress. "I'll be heading to Spencer's now."

"What? Wait you knew about this?" JJ asked, turning around to find Alex nodding, a grin on her face. "What is all this? Where's Em?"

"That I can't tell you, you'll have to just wait and see," Alex smiled. "I would do what the note says though, and curl your hair, Emily loves that," the teen suggested, moving to stand in front of the blonde. "I won't be seeing you until tomorrow so have fun," she said leaning forward to place a kiss on the older woman's cheek. "Love you."

"I love you too you little sneak," JJ laughed, hugging the teen before seeing her out the door. "Hm, well I guess I better get ready then," the blonde said to herself, grabbing the dress along with her purchases from the day before heading up the stairs.

Excited and not really knowing what to expect JJ made her way into the master suite, dumping her bags off on the couch before hanging up the dress so she could get ready. The blonde tried to take her time, knowing she had quite a bit of time before 6pm, getting her things together in order to do her hair and make-up in the bathroom. It was 5:45pm by the time she headed downstairs with her new dress on; a dress, which fit her perfectly, hitting her just above her knee and showing off her ever-growing baby bump. Going into the hall closet, the blonde pulled out a black jacket and a pair of low heels, deciding she would risk being uncomfortable for whatever Emily had planned for the night.

Still having a few minutes to spare, JJ headed into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa where she could see the front door, anxious to see just what would happen come 6pm. Expecting Emily to walk in, JJ was surprised when at 6pm on the dot, the sound of the doorbell ringing filled the house.

Pulling on her jacket, JJ made her way towards the door, opening it to find Emily standing on the other side wearing a black jacket over what appeared to be a red dress, a dozen red roses in her hand.

"You look stunning," Emily greeted, stepping forward to give the blonde a chaste kiss.

"So do you," JJ replied, taking the flowers the brunette held out for her. "Em what is all this?"

"This is me doing something special for the woman I love," Emily replied with a smile. "You better get those in some water, we have a reservation to make," she said, ushering JJ towards the kitchen where a vase was already waiting.

"Where are we going?" JJ asked, placing the flowers in water before taking Emily's hand and allowing herself to be lead towards the door.

"You'll just have to wait a see," Emily said, squeezing the blonde's hand. "But trust me you're going to love it," she continued as she led JJ towards the door, excited for her girlfriend to see their ride for the night.

"Em a limo?" JJ exclaimed as she stepped outside, seeing the large black vehicle waiting in the driveway. "This is crazy."

"This is exactly the kind of night you deserve Jennifer," Emily said, smiling as JJ pulled her into a kiss.

"You're amazing you know that?" JJ said, when she pulled away, resting her forehead against the brunette's.

"You're the amazing one," Emily insisted, kissing the blonde's nose before taking her hand and leading her into their car, looking forward to giving her girlfriend the best night possible.

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"I don't understand how you got us a reservation here," JJ said later that night as she and Emily sat across from each other at dinner, the blonde already more than impressed by Emily's date night. "This place is amazing, but I heard it's nearly impossible to get a table."

"I have my ways," Emily winked before taking a bite of the pasta she had ordered. "So did you have a good time with the munchkin this afternoon?"

"I had a great time," JJ smiled. "I can't believe the little sneak knew about this though. She's good."

"She definitely does make a good partner in crime," Emily agreed, having had enjoyed planning out her date night with the teen.

"You know we talked about the baby a lot today," JJ then told Emily, a small smile playing at her lips as she took a bite of her chicken.

"Oh yeah? Is Lex getting excited?" Emily asked.

"She wants it to be a girl," JJ replied.

"She wants a girl and I want a boy," Emily laughed. "Should be interesting."

"Oh please you know you'll both be thrilled either way," JJ pointed out. "Is that something you want to find out before though?" She asked. "I mean do you want to know the sex before they're born?"

"That's up to you Jen."

"Em," JJ said, taking the brunette's hand from across the table and forcing her to meet her eyes. "We're doing this together. You get a say in this."

"Well is that what you want?" Emily asked, biting her lip.

"Honestly I'm not sure I can wait," JJ revealed breaking out in a grin.

"Me either," Emily laughed. "When can we find out?"

"I have an ultrasound in 2 weeks," JJ replied happily. "We'll have to pull Alex out of school though because I already promised she could come."

"I think we can manage that," Emily smiled, knowing there was no way the teen would allow them to let her miss finding out the sex of the baby.

The pair continued to enjoy the meal, chatting about anything besides work, simply enjoying each other's company. It was a nice change, being able to spend time together out of the house when they weren't on a case, something, which they didn't get to do often. Finished their meal they decided to share a chocolate lava cake for dessert; Emily knowing she wouldn't get much of it since JJ had been craving chocolate quite often in the last few weeks.

"I still can't believe you did all this for me," JJ said, allowing Emily to feed her a forkful of their cake. "It's been absolutely perfect."

"Oh the night's not over yet," Emily grinned, surprising the blonde. "I've got a little something else up my sleeve."

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JJ didn't know what to expect when they left the restaurant, Emily explaining that they would just need to walk a little up the street for the next part of the date. Confused, but trusting the brunette, JJ allowed Emily to take her hand and lead her down the street, having no guess as to where they were going until they stopped in front of the dance studio.

"Really?" JJ gasped seeing the sign on the door advertising couples lessons for beginners.

"I thought you might enjoy it," Emily replied. "We don't have to if you don't want to though."

"Oh I want to," JJ said with a huge smile, leaning forward to give the brunette a kiss. "You never cease to amaze me you know that?"

"Well a girl's gotta keep it interesting," Emily laughed, giving the blonde another quick kiss before leading her inside.

There were already quite a few couples waiting inside, the instructor introducing herself to everyone while they waited to begin. Since it was a beginner's lesson it was kept simple, the ladies learning a few easy steps, which they caught onto easily. Soon Emily was leading JJ around the room, both enjoying being close together and doing something new.

"Did you have a good time?" Emily asked when they were finished, hoping the blonde wasn't uncomfortable after spending so much time on her feet.

"I had the best time," JJ replied, giving Emily a quick kiss. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Emily smiled. "And now I think it's time I took you home Agent Jareau."

"It's definitely time you took me home," JJ flirted, taking her girlfriend's hand, reading for the perfect ending to an already perfect night.

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As per Emily's request Alex returned home before lunch the next day, entering the large home to find Emily pulling out things for lunch in the kitchen.

"Hey kid," Emily greeted. "You feel like grilled cheese? Jen said she just has to have one."

"Sure," Alex laughed, dropping her bag by the stairs and making her way into the kitchen. "How was last night?"

"It was perfect," Emily replied with a smile, handing Alex a knife so the teen could begin buttering pieces of bread of their sandwiches. "I honestly don't think the night could have gone better."

"JJ was surprised then?" Alex asked.

"I was," JJ called, coming into the kitchen with a big smile on her face, immediately making her way to the teen, taking Alex's face in her hands and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for your part in the whole thing. You two are too good to me."

"It was nothing," Alex replied, laughing as JJ gave her another kiss. "Emily was the one who did all the work, my job was just to get you out of the house for the day. I had fun."

"Well thank you anyways," JJ smiled, finally releasing the teen's face so she could continue helping Emily with lunch. "Oh I've got good news too Lex. Em and I have decided we're definitely going to find out the sex of the baby."

"Really?" Alex asked, turning to the blonde excitedly.

"Really," JJ laughed.

"Oh I can't wait!" The teen exclaimed. "I get to come right?" She asked turning to Emily.

"Of course," the older brunette answered.

"Yes, thank you," Alex said, abandoning the sandwiches to hug both women. "You guys better not get a case on the day of the appointment."

"We'll do our best," Emily laughed, shaking her head. "Now how about you finish helping me with these sandwiches so we can enjoy the rest of the day together?"

"I like the sound of that," JJ said. "Maybe we can play a little Nintendo? Teach the kid to play pool?"

"That sounds pretty good," Emily agreed. "Lex?"

"I would love that," Alex replied with a smile, happy to be able to spend the day with her two favourite people.


	4. Olivia

**So I know a lot of you are waiting for the doctor's appointment, but you will have to wait a little longer (couple chapters at least). I know a lot of you really like Olivia's character so I just thought we'd explore a different side to the bubbly blonde. I really hope you guys like it.**

**Also I realize that this story is really lacking the team but I promise the next few chapters will make up for that!**

**So with that, happy reading! -J**

**Chapter 4- Olivia**

It was a Friday night when JJ and Emily came home to find someone sitting on their front porch. The team had been away for 3 days, working on a case in New Jersey; returning late Thursday night. After a long day of paperwork the ladies had decided to catch a movie since Alex would be at Zoey's for the night.

"Em who is that?" JJ said as they pulled into the driveway. "Is that Alex?" She asked, able to tell that it was indeed a young girl.

"No she just text me saying they were baking cookies," Emily replied, turning off the car and grabbing her purse from behind her seat. "Come on we better check. But stay behind me."

"Em look at the size of the person, I think I'll be okay," JJ argued, as they both got out of the car, slowly making their way towards the front porch, confused as to who would be waiting outside for them this late at night.

As they got closer, and the visitor turned her head, both women took notice of the familiar blonde hair, sighing in relief as they realized who the stranger was.

"Olivia?" JJ called as they approached. "Sweetie what are you doing here? It's freezing out here."

"Why aren't you with the girls?" Emily asked as they got closer, stepping into the light and noticing that the teen's eyes were red-rimmed. "What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.

"I'm sorry," Olivia choked out as she tried to hold back tears. "You were on a date. I shouldn't have come," she said moving to walk past the two women.

"Liv, what's going on?" Emily said, putting out an arm to stop the teen from leaving. "What happened?"

"I-I didn't know where else to go," Olivia replied sadly, wiping furiously at the tears that insisted on falling.

Seeing that the young blonde was obviously struggling JJ began to worry, wondering why the girl wasn't with her friends, and why she had been waiting at their house. "Why don't we go inside and warm up a bit?" JJ suggested, wanting to give Olivia a few minutes to calm herself down. "I can make some hot chocolate and we can sit by the fire. Does that sound okay?"

"Okay," Olivia nodded as JJ wrapped an arm around her, the two following Emily inside.

"Em I'll get the drinks if you want to start the fire," JJ said once they were indoors.

"Yeah sure," Emily agreed. "Come on Liv, let's get you a couple blankets," the brunette said, ushering the teen into the living room and guiding her to take a seat on the couch.

Once she had the teen sitting on the couch, Emily opened up a chest where they kept the blankets in order to grab a few for the blonde. Seeing that Olivia was in a bit of a daze, Emily wrapped the blankets around her, running a hand over her hair before moving to turn on the fireplace.

"You okay?" Emily asked, taking a seat on the couch next to the blonde, knowing it was a stupid question given the teen's state.

"Not really," Olivia replied sadly, wiping away a few more stray tears.

"Olivia, honey, what happened?" Emily had to ask, still worried about why her daughter's friend had shown up on her doorstep.

"My dad left," Olivia revealed with a sob, feeling grateful as Emily immediately pulled her into her arms, allowing her to cry on her shoulder.

It was at that moment that JJ also came into the room, hearing the teen's announcement and watching as Emily embraced her. The pair shared a sad, understanding look over Olivia's head as JJ placed the hot chocolates on the coffee table and took a seat on the other side of the teen.

"I'm sorry sweetie," Emily said, kissing the teen's head as she continued to cry; JJ placing a supporting hand on Olivia's leg, both women hating seeing the normally vibrant blonde so upset.

"He was seeing someone else," Olivia said when she finally pulled away to look at Emily and JJ, tears still falling down her cheeks. "My mom found out and she lost it. I was upstairs but I could hear them yelling, and then he left. My mom told me I should go to Zoey's, but I didn't want to have to tell the girls," the blonde explained. "I had to leave but I didn't know where I could go. I just kind of ended up here. Would it be okay if I stayed?" She asked with wide, begging eyes.

"Of course you can," JJ replied. "I'm going to call your mom and let her know where you are though okay?"

"Yeah…okay," Olivia replied sadly, leaning back into the couch as JJ left the room in order to call the teen's mother.

"Here why don't you drink some of this," Emily said, grabbing one of the mugs of hot chocolate and handing it to Olivia who still seemed to be shivering. "It'll warm you up."

Taking the offered mug, Olivia took a long sip, cradling the beverage in both hands in order to gain some more warmth. "I just can't believe this," she eventually said, shaking her head sadly. "How could he do this?"

"Sometimes people do things that don't make sense to anyone else," Emily replied, not sure what she could say to make the young blonde feel better. "I know how hard this kind of thing can be. I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

"Are your parents together?" Olivia asked.

"Technically they're still married but they're not really together," Emily replied, not sure how to explain her parents' relationship. "Things kind of went south with them when I was really young."

"What if I never see him again?" Olivia worried.

"Honey your dad loves you," Emily assured the teen. "Sometimes things don't work out between parents, but he'll still be there for you," she said putting her arm around the blonde as she moved closer, hoping she was right.

"I'm sorry if I ruined your night."

"You didn't ruin anything," Emily replied, hearing the teen sigh as she began running her fingers through her hair.

"Your mom says it's fine if you stay with us," JJ said as she came into the room, retaking her seat on the other side of the teen. "I told her we'd drive you home tomorrow."

"Thanks," Olivia replied, resting her head on Emily's shoulder as JJ took her hand.

"Anytime honey," Emily replied, her heart hurting for the sadness she understood the young girl was feeling.

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**"**She all settled?" JJ asked when Emily made her way into their bedroom later that night, shutting the door behind her.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow," Emily replied, having just come from Alex's room where she had gotten Olivia a pair of Alex's pajamas before tucking her in for the night. "I think all that crying wore her out. Poor girl."

"It's so strange seeing her so sad," JJ said, watching as Emily made her way to the dresser, pulling out a pair of pajamas for herself and beginning to change. "I feel so bad."

"I know, I hate it," Emily agreed, pulling off her sweater and bra before pulling on one of JJ's old t-shirts. "How did her mom sound when you talked to her?"

"Honestly? She sounded wasted," JJ replied worriedly, knowing it was probably best that Olivia was there with them.

"Well that would be understandable," Emily said, trading her jeans for a pair of flannel pants before getting into bed beside the blonde. "Maybe if Olivia is okay to tell Alex tomorrow we can keep her another night. Give her mom an extra night to lose it before she has to talk to Olivia about it."

"That might be a good idea," JJ replied, immediately snuggling closer to the brunette, smiling as Emily put her arm around her. "You were really great with Liv tonight you know," she said, kissing under Emily's chin.

"I've been there," Emily replied with a sigh, remembering when she was in Olivia's position, wishing she had, had someone to go to back then.

"How old were you?" JJ asked. "When everything started with your parents I mean."

"8? Maybe earlier, I'm not sure to be honest," Emily replied softly. "It's been so long it's hard to remember when it all really started. It was the worst when I was like 11 or 12 though."

"That must have been awful," JJ said, taking Emily's hand in hers, stroking her thumb over the back. "Do you ever hear from him?"

"He usually checks in every few months, but I haven't heard from him since before Alex came," the brunette explained. "I'm sure he knows about her being here, but I'm too afraid to ask my mother. Things have been going so well with her I don't want to bring up my father."

"I'm sorry Em," JJ said, once again placing a kiss against her girlfriend's jaw.

"Don't be," Emily replied. "I'm happier than I've ever been, if he doesn't want to be a part of that it's his loss," she said running her hand through the blonde's hair. "You know we're going to have to keep an eye on Liv. I know how hard these things can be when you're a teenager. I'd hate to see her get herself into trouble."

"Alex will be there for her and so will we," JJ said. "She'll get through this."

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"Emily, JJ I'm home and I brought cookies," Alex called when she got home the next day.

"Oh what kind?" JJ, who had been coming down the stairs, asked.

"Chocolate chip," Alex replied, laughing as the blonde immediately took the offered container, opening it on the way to the kitchen.

"Mmmm I missed you," JJ said mouth already full of cookie.

"I'm sure you did," Alex laughed as Emily came into the room from down the hall. "Hey," Alex greeted. "If you want a cookie you better get one now," she said as Emily pulled her into a hug.

"And steal from the pregnant lady? No thank you," Emily joked, earning a glare from JJ. "How was your night?"

"It was great, although Olivia wasn't there," Alex replied. "I guess she's sick or something, but we made cookies and watched a couple movies. Plus Zoey's trying to teach us how to knit."

"Oh wow," JJ smiled.

"What did you guys do last night?" Alex then asked, taking a seat at the table.

"Oh well we went to see that movie we were talking about," Emily replied, glancing towards the stairs, wondering if she should tell Alex that her friend was actually up in her room. "Um listen I need to tell you something, but I just need to run upstairs first…"

"Hey Emily is there some towels I can use…"

"Liv?" Alex interrupted her friend, seeing the blonde coming down the stairs dressed in her pajamas. "What are you doing here? I thought you were sick," she said, standing to make her way towards the stairs, followed closely by both Emily and JJ.

"Oh…I uh…well…" Olivia began to stutter, her eyes already welling up with tears.

"Olivia what's wrong?" Alex asked worriedly, seeing that the blonde looked ready to cry.

"Liv?" Emily asked, knowing that the teen wasn't able to talk at the moment, and wondering if she should take over. Olivia, who was losing the battle against her tears, simply nodded, wanting Emily to tell her friend why she was at her house.

"Olivia's dad left last night," Emily explained, watching as her daughter's jaw dropped in surprise. "She was too upset to go to Zoey's, but her mom insisted, so she came here instead."

"Oh my god," Alex practically whispered, stepping forward and engulfing her friend in a hug. "I'm so sorry Liv," she said as the blonde released a heart-wrenching sob. "I'm so sorry," she repeated, unsure of what to say.

Feeling sad for the young girl, JJ took Emily's hand in hers, both standing by and watching the two teens embracing, knowing there was nothing they could really say to make Olivia feel better right now. It was a few minutes before Olivia finally calmed herself down enough to pull away from her friend, wiping the tears out of her eyes and muttering a quiet 'sorry', which Alex immediately brushed off.

"Hey why don't we go upstairs and I'll get back in my PJs and we can spend the whole day watching movies, just the two of us," Alex suggested, feeling like she could at least keep her friend distracted for the day.

"You had plans with Logan today," Olivia replied shaking her head.

"I'll call and cancel, he'll understand," Alex said.

"Lex I don't want to ruin your day," Olivia argued.

"Liv you're not," Alex insisted. "Logan and I can reschedule. You need me more right now. Come on," she continued. "It'll make you feel better."

"Is that okay?" Olivia then asked, turning to Emily and JJ. "If I stay longer I mean."

"Of course," JJ replied. "Why don't you stay the night again too," she suggested. "Emily and I can talk to your mom."

"Actually I was thinking of stopping by and checking on your mom," Emily said. "I thought I'd bring her lunch or something."

"Thanks," Olivia replied emotionally, stepping towards the two older women and wrapping her arms around them. "You two really are the best you know."

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Later that day, Alex and Olivia were still holding out in Alex's room, watching Disney movies in bed, surrounded by various forms of snacks, which JJ continually supplied them throughout the day. Though she was a lot quieter than usual, Alex seemed to think Olivia was doing rather well considering and the blonde had even called Spencer and Zoey to tell them what happened. Both girls had wanted to come over, but Olivia had asked them to give her a little more time, not quite ready for extra company since she knew she was still likely to break down.

"You were right, Disney movies really do make you feel better," Olivia said, her hand in a bag of skittles. "Although I think all this sugar has helped too."

"Probably," Alex laughed. "JJ is definitely good for supporting the sugar right now. I'm pretty sure she's got a stash somewhere in the house for when she gets a craving."

"I would if I were her," Olivia laughed, sighing as she put the candy down and leaned back against the headboard. "You know you're really lucky."

"Lucky how?" Alex asked, looking slightly confused.

"Having those two," Olivia replied. "Your moms I mean. I wish I had parents like them."

"They are pretty great," Alex agreed. "But I lost a lot to get those two as parents," she reminded the blonde. "I know your parents seem like a mess right now, and everything sucks, but it'll get better Liv. Your mom just needs some time to process all of this, and your dad made a mistake, but he still loves you."

"How do you do it?" Olivia then asked, turning to Alex who looked at her in confusion. "I mean how are you so okay after everything you've been through? I mean I feel like my whole life has fallen apart and I'm completely losing it, but you've been through so much more, yet you seem okay."

"Trust me Liv, I was way worse than you when everything with my parents happened," Alex replied. "I was a mess, and honestly sometimes I still am. I mean I still get nightmares from time to time, I still get sad, but I know my parents wouldn't want me to live my life torturing myself, so I just do my best to keep on living," she explained. "Plus I like to think everything happens for a reason, and even though it's hard to understand why my parents had to be taken away, I think maybe it was so I could end up here. With Emily and JJ, with the team, with you and the girls."

"So you think that something good can come from my dad having an affair?" Olivia asked skeptically.

"I think that right now it all looks terrible, but who knows, maybe a few months from now you'll have a new perspective on the whole thing," Alex replied. "Maybe your mom will eventually meet someone new. Someone who wouldn't do this to her."

"Yeah," Olivia agreed, falling quiet as she thought about it. "Maybe the guy will be rich and he'll buy me a car," she joked, sounding very much like her old self.

"Maybe," Alex laughed, shaking her head. "Whatever happens though, just know that I'm here for you."

"Thanks Alex," Olivia smiled, allowing her friend to pull her into a side hug. "I'm really glad I have you."

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It was late Sunday afternoon by the time Emily drove Olivia home, walking the teen inside and making sure her mother didn't need anything before leaving. While Olivia wasn't her normal exuberant self, she did seem better off than when she first arrived, cheered up by Alex who remained by her friend's side the entire time she was at the house.

That night at dinner, Alex had seemed quieter than usual, obviously pretty affected by Olivia's whole situation, but trying to act normal as she enjoyed her time with JJ and Emily. It wasn't until the teen was getting ready for bed, and Emily came in to say her goodnights that she felt ready to talk.

"Emily, could you stay for a minute?" Alex asked from where she was lying in bed, prompting Emily to sit down beside her.

"What's up chicky?" Emily asked, stroking the teen's hair.

"You wouldn't…I mean JJ…you guys wouldn't break up right?" The teen asked, looking up at the older brunette with big, worried eyes.

"I would never cheat on JJ Alex," Emily replied, knowing that was what the teenager was getting at. "And JJ wouldn't either," she assured her.

"But what if something else happened?" Alex asked. "I wouldn't be able to handle it if you two weren't together. I mean JJ isn't really related to me so I would lose her and I don't want that, I love her, and what about the baby…"

"Alex, Alex," Emily interrupted the teen's rant. "Sweetie breath okay," she said, turning the teen's face so she was looking her in the eyes. "Listen to me. I would never take you away from JJ. I can't tell you what's going to happen in the future, but I can promise you that I would never prevent you from seeing JJ, no matter what happened between us. JJ loves you, she'll always be your family honey," she assured her daughter. "And I love JJ Alex, and I truly believe that we're meant to be together. We're all meant to be a family."

"Olivia's parents seemed so happy," Alex said in response, playing with a loose string on Emily's shirt.

"I know," Emily replied. "But we're not them okay?"

"Okay," Alex eventually agreed, sounding tired. "Will you stay a little longer?" She asked with a yawn.

"Sure," Emily replied, lying down next to the teen and kissing her forehead.

Emily continued to run her fingers through Alex's hair, remaining silent as she listened to the teen's breathing even out, indicating that she had fallen asleep. Not quite ready to let go yet, Emily remained where she was, watching her daughter sleep as she thought about what they had talked about.

"Em?" JJ eventually called out quietly, interrupting the brunette's thoughts from where she stood in the doorway. Careful not to wake Alex, Emily got up from the bed, turning off the light and shutting the bedroom door before pulling JJ into a hug. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah she's alright," Emily replied with a sigh. "I love you Jen. You know I would never do anything to hurt you right?"

"I know Em," JJ assured her, understanding what Alex had been worrying about during dinner. "I love you too. And I love our family," she said, meeting the brunette's lips in a kiss she hoped would convey just how much she meant that.


	5. The Talk

**So I got home from work and worked to get this chapter finished for you guys tonight since I won't have time to write at all the rest of the weekend!**

**I had a good time writing this one so I really hope you all like it!**

**Thanks for reading, and enjoy! -J**

**Chapter 5- The Talk**

Having been away on cases a lot in the last couple weeks, Emily and JJ were grateful when they seemed to be getting a reprieve the week following Olivia's visit. It was currently Tuesday night and the pair were home making dinner for Alex and Logan who were working on homework down the hall. Having worked on paperwork along with a few consults all day, the pair had been able to get off work early, meeting Alex at home and allowing her to invite her boyfriend over for some homemade lasagna.

"Em do we have any hot sauce?" JJ asked from where she had been getting some garlic bread ready to put in the oven.

"Um I think so, but what do you need hot sauce for?" Emily replied, turning to the blonde in confusion.

"For the lasagna," JJ replied like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Jen that's…you know what never mind," Emily stopped herself, knowing it wasn't a good idea to insult the blonde's cravings. "I'll find it for you," she said instead, moving to search the kitchen.

"Thanks," JJ replied happily while she put the bread in the oven.

Finding the hot sauce Emily put the bottle on the table near JJ's spot, knowing no one else would need it. "I'm going to see if the kids want a salad," she then said, heading down the hall towards the game room where the teens were doing their homework. Finding the door partially shut, Emily pushed it open, turning towards the couch where she assumed the young couple would be working.

"Hey did you guys want a…" Emily called, cutting herself off when her eyes fell on Alex and Logan who were quickly jumping away from each other having been making out on the couch. "Oh...uh….sorry…I just…" Emily stuttered, surprised and suddenly lost for words. "I just wanted to see if you guys wanted salad.'

"Oh, uh no thanks," Alex replied, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Uh yeah no thank you," Logan agreed from the other end of the couch, also blushing; neither teen willing to meet Emily's eyes.

"Okay well…dinner will be ready in a few minutes," Emily said. "I'll uh…I'll just be down the hall," she said, leaving the room but keeping the door wide open. Still in shock, the brunette made her way towards the kitchen, horror written on her face as she thought about what she had just seen.

"You okay?" JJ asked when Emily came into the kitchen, immediately noticing the look on the brunette's face.

"They were making out in there," Emily replied, turning to the blonde, a shocked look still on her face.

"What?" JJ asked, attempting to keep the amusement out of her voice.

"I walked in there and they were making out on the couch," Emily explained. "I mean they were upright, but they were making out," she continued. "You should have seen how quickly they jumped apart. I can't believe she's making out with him, while we're right here."

"Well they are teenagers Em," JJ reminded her.

"She's fourteen!" Emily argued. "How am I supposed to have dinner with this kid now that I just saw that."

"Em you like Logan," JJ replied, shaking her head at her girlfriend's current meltdown.

"I did," Emily said. "I'm not so sure anymore."

"Em you need to relax," JJ said, moving closer to the brunette and trying not to laugh. "They were just kissing. I mean obviously we need to talk to her, but it's just kissing. Just calm down okay," she soothed. "We invited him for dinner, we don't want this to be awkward."

"But…I just…I…" Emily stuttered.

"I know," JJ laughed. "Just deep breaths," she said, unable to hide her smile.

"Hey is dinner ready?" Alex asked coming to the room, her cheeks still red, and still refusing to meet Emily's eyes, as Logan came up behind her.

"Just about," JJ replied with a smile. "Why don't you two go sit down. We'll be right there," she said, watching the teens walk away before turning back to Emily. "You gonna be okay there gorgeous?" She asked.

"I guess," Emily replied, sounding unsure. "Let's just do this."

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To say dinner was awkward would be an understatement. Still embarrassed, Alex and Logan remained rather quiet, neither quite able to look the two adults in the eye. Similarly, Emily still seemed to be stewing, focusing on her dinner and leaving JJ to try and force some sort of conversation. Logan had been rather quick to leave after dinner and as soon as the boy left, Alex excused herself to her room in an attempt to avoid an awkward conversation with her mothers.

"Em you know we need to talk to Alex about last night," JJ said as she and Emily walked into the bullpen the next morning. "She left too quick this morning, but we can't just let this go."

"What happened to 'they're teens Em'?" Emily asked, not quite ready for the conversation she knew JJ was referring to.

"They are, but we kind of have to set some ground rules," JJ replied. "And you know….talk," she emphasized just as they approached the brunette's desk, drawing Morgan's attention.

"Talk about what?" Morgan asked as Emily dropped her briefcase under her desk before taking a seat.

"Nothing," the brunette replied quickly.

"Emily caught Alex and Logan making out in the game room last night when they were supposed to be doing homework," JJ explained, ignoring the glare the brunette was shooting her.

"Ah so you're having the sex talk," Morgan replied, trying not to laugh at the horrified look on Emily's face.

"No we are not," Emily argued.

"Not what?" Garcia asked as she came into the bullpen with Reid.

"Giving Alex the sex talk," Morgan replied, catching JJ's amused expression.

"Isn't Alex a little young for that?" Reid asked innocently.

"Yes! Thank you Reid," Emily said. "She's just a kid."

"She's a teenager," JJ argued. "And she's making out with her boyfriend behind closed doors while we're home."

"A boyfriend who's a year older than her," Garcia pointed out as Emily's face visibly paled.

"Oh god," Emily muttered, dropping her head in her hands.

"You aren't going to be sick are you gumdrop?" Garcia teased.

"I think maybe," the brunette grumbled. "You don't really think she's thinking about sex do you?" She then asked, lifting her head to look at JJ.

"Right now? No," JJ replied certainly. "But I think she's 14 and we need to set some rules for her and Logan, and make sure she knows she can come to us about things."

"Ugh I knew I shouldn't have let her date," Emily groaned, making Garcia and Morgan laugh.

"Sorry baby, it's a little late for that," JJ replied with a smirk. "So tonight then? After work?"

"Great," Emily replied sarcastically, suddenly not looking forward to going home at all.

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"So you guys were making out?" Olivia asked for what must have been the 5th time as the girls sat in the cafeteria at lunch that afternoon. "And Emily walked in?"

"Yes," Alex replied exasperatedly, having had already explained this to the girls.

"So what did you do?" Zoey asked.

"We like jumped away from each other," Alex replied. "I mean what were we supposed to do? Emily had already saw."

"Did she say anything about it?" Spencer questioned, trying not to laugh at her friend's ordeal.

"No, she just looked all horrified and then stuttered something about salad," Alex said. "It was so awkward. And dinner was even worse. No one would look at each other, and JJ just kept trying to make small talk, but she obviously already knew about it."

"What did Logan say?" Spencer asked.

"Not much," Alex shrugged. "He was embarrassed too and he kept apologizing before he left," she explained. "He's probably never going to want to come over again."

"I'm sure that's not true," Zoey assured her.

"Do you think Emily and JJ are mad?" Olivia asked. "I mean you said you avoided them last night and this morning but do you think you're going to be in trouble?"

"I don't know," Alex shrugged. "I mean Emily was really freaked out about me having a boyfriend, she's probably not too thrilled about this," she said, dropping her sandwich and resting her head on her hand. "Man tonight it going to suck."

"Maybe they'll get a case," Olivia pointed out.

"God I hope so," Alex moaned, knowing there was no way she was going to be able to avoid her mothers if they didn't.

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When Emily pulled the car into the driveway of their home later that day, JJ looked over to find the brunette biting her lip nervously, looking like she was considering pulling back out and going somewhere else.

"Em, babe, you need to calm down," JJ told her. "We're just going to talk to her, why are you so freaked out?"

"Jen I was like less than a year older than Alex when I lost my virginity," Emily confessed, turning to the blonde looking worried. "I know Alex isn't me, but it still worries me."

"Okay I get that, but don't you think that makes it more important that we talk to her about this?" JJ asked. "Make sure she is making smart choices and can come talk to us about this?"

"I guess," Emily agreed reluctantly, still pouting. "Why can't kids just stay kids? Just be innocent forever."

"Sorry baby that's just not how it works," JJ laughed, leaning forward and kissing the brunette's nose. "Alex is still a kid, but she's growing up, and she's going to keep growing. It's your job to make sure she takes her time with that."

"_Our_ job," Emily corrected making the blonde smile. "And you're right, although I still hate this. Promise you'll help me when I'm tripping over my words?"

"Promise," JJ winked, kissing Emily once more before getting out of the car.

The couple walked to the house hand-in-hand, opening the front door to find a quiet house. Dropping their briefcases by the stairs the pair headed towards the family room where they could see Alex sitting at the coffee table, her head bent over her books.

"Hey bookworm," JJ greeted. "How was school?"

"Not bad," Alex replied. "I have a ton of homework though."

"That's no fun," Emily said, leaning over to kiss the teen's head. "We were thinking we would just have leftovers for dinner tonight. There's still lots of lasagna, you want us to make you up a plate?"

"Uh sure, but do you think one of you could read over this paper real quick first?" Alex asked, pulling out an essay from her pile of books.

"That would be a job for Emily," JJ replied. "You do that, I'll handle dinner," the blonde said before heading towards the kitchen.

Turning on the oven JJ decided to heat the lasagna up, throwing some more bread in as well before going to set the table while Alex and Emily worked in the family room. Emily was able to read through Alex's paper rather quickly, going over a few points with the teen before the two brunettes joined JJ in the kitchen. Unlike dinner the night before, Alex spent the meal telling Emily and JJ about her day, partially trying to avoid any awkward conversation that could be brought up.

As all three ladies finished up the last of their meal, Alex truly believed she was getting off easy, missing the look JJ and Emily exchanged as they both put down their forks, preparing themselves for their talk with the teen.

"Do you guys wanna watch crappy reality shows with me after we clean up?" Alex asked, preparing to stand from her seat.

"Sure sweetie," Emily replied, forcing a smile. "There was actually something we wanted to talk to you about first though. Can you sit?"

"So you are mad about yesterday," Alex said, dropping back down into her chair.

"No," Emily replied quickly. "I'm not mad, we just want to talk about it…talk about…about you and Logan…"

"Making out?" Alex finished for the older brunette.

"Yes," Emily nodded.

"Well why do we have to talk about it if you're not mad?" Alex asked. "Am I in trouble?"

"You're not in trouble," Emily assured her. "And like I said we're not mad, but we are worried…or concerned I guess."

"We want to set a few ground rules when it comes to Logan being here," JJ explained.

"What kind of rules?" Alex asked, looking from one woman to the next.

"Well for one Logan shouldn't be over when one of us aren't here," Emily began. "And when he is here we'd prefer you aren't hanging out behind closed doors."

"Yeah so if you want to make out you'll have to do so with the door open," JJ joked, trying not to laugh at the glare Emily was sending her way and the embarrassment written over Alex's face. "We also don't think Logan should be spending any time on the second floor," she said, trying to stay serious.

"Okay," Alex agreed, thinking that the rules seemed pretty understandable. "Is that it?"

"Well yes, but we also wanted to talk to you about something else," Emily replied. "We're not really sure…um we don't really know if your mom ever talked to you about….mature relationships," she said awkwardly, seeing JJ raising an eyebrow out of the corner of her eye.

"Mature relationships?" Alex repeated sounding confused.

"Yes….um about couples and umm….hormones," Emily stuttered, really not wanting to talk about sex with her little girl.

"Emily I know where babies come from if that's what you're getting at," Alex interrupted, seeing how painful this conversation seemed to be for the older brunette.

"It is, though she seems to be having a hard time getting there," JJ replied.

"Guys I'm not…I mean I'm only…" Alex stuttered, shaking her head. "I'm not having sex."

"We know that honey," JJ assured her.

"Then why are we talking about this?" Alex asked, her cheeks flaring red. "I mean we were only kissing. That's it. I wouldn't…I mean I'm no where near ready for that."

"We know that too," Emily replied. "But we also know that sometimes our judgment can be clouded by our feelings. Logan is your first boyfriend, and he's older. There's a lot of pressure in relationships when it comes to these sorts of things."

"Logan isn't pressuring me to do anything," Alex said.

"That's good," JJ replied. "We just want to be sure that if that changes that you'll come to us. We want you to be able to talk to us."

"Okay," Alex nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable, but understanding. "But just so you know I'm not even thinking about that. I mean I'm only 14."

"We know," Emily said. "We just know how fast that can change, and we really don't want you to do something you'll regret."

"Were you young when you first…you know?" The teen asked curiously.

Unsure of if she should tell the teen, Emily bit her lip in thought, considering her options before deciding that honestly was the best policy. "I was 15," the older brunette replied. "I was trying really hard to fit in, and honestly it was awful. It should have been special, and with someone I loved, but instead I rushed it and ultimately I regretted it."

"What about you JJ?" Alex asked.

"I just turned 19," JJ replied. "I had been dating my boyfriend at the time for almost a year," she explained. "I'm glad I waited."

At this Alex nodded, seeming to be thinking about the two women's responses carefully. "Okay," she eventually shrugged. "Is that everything then?"

"Yeah…unless there was anything else you wanted to ask us," Emily replied.

"No I don't think so," the teen said, shaking her head. "But if that changes I'll come to you guys. Promise," she assured them.

"Good," Emily sighed, relieved to have gotten through the conversation. "Now I believe you mentioned something about reality shows?"

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"Can I ask you something?" Alex asked Emily later that night when the older brunette came in to say her goodnights.

"Of course," Emily replied, sitting on the edge of the teen's bed.

"Why does me having a boyfriend freak you out so much?" Alex asked. "I mean you do trust me right?"

"Of course I do," Emily replied quickly, putting a hand on the teen's leg. "I really do."

"Then do you not like Logan?"

"No I like Logan," Emily said. "I think he's a very nice boy."

"Then what is it?" Alex asked in confusion.

"Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that you're a teenager," Emily replied. "I haven't had that much time with you, so for me I still see you as a little girl," she explained. "I have a hard time remembering that you already did all that growing up for the last 14 years."

At this Alex nodded, taking Emily's hand in hers as she thought about this. "You know I still have a lot of growing up to do," she eventually said. "For the most part I'm still a kid…I mean I'm your kid. Having a boyfriend doesn't change that."

"You're right," Emily nodded, squeezing the teen's hand. "I'm going to work really hard to try and remember that," she said with a smile. "I love you, you know."

"I know," Alex smiled, pulling Emily into a hug. "I love you too."

"Hey room for one more over there?" JJ called as she came in seeing the two brunettes hugging. "Well technically two more," she said gesturing towards her stomach.

"There's always room for you," Emily replied with a smile as the blonde came over and joined them, both women kissing the younger brunette on the head.

"You know Olivia was right," Alex said with a smile. "I am really lucky to have you guys."


	6. A Clean Break

**So I'm not really sure why I decided to do this chapter, but the idea popped in my head and I decided to go with it. I almost deleted it at one point, but decided to stick with it so I hope it's okay!**

**Next chapter is going to be focused mostly on JJ and I'm really looking forward to writing it, so hopefully I'll be able to make it a fast update!**

**Thanks for sticking with me guys! You're the best! -J**

**Chapter 6- A Clean Break**

The day after 'the talk', the team had been called to Philadelphia to help find two missing brothers who had disappeared on their way to school. Since time was of the essence the team had worked through the entire day, unable to take a moment to rest. When they managed to find the young boys a little less than 24 hours later the whole team had been relieved, sticking around to deliver the boys to their overjoyed parents and celebrate with the local police force.

"Emily and JJ will be home later today," Alex told Spencer as they waited in the school parking lot for Zoey and Olivia to arrive.

"Already?" Spencer asked. "They just left."

"Missing kids," Alex replied. "It's not their usual kind of case, but I guess it ended well," she explained.

"Well you're still spending the night tonight right? The girls are coming," Spencer reminded her.

"Yeah of course," Alex nodded, knowing Emily and JJ wouldn't expect her to miss their weekly sleepover. "Do you want to wait inside for the girls? It's freezing out here," she then asked, tucking her face further into her coat. Though it wasn't snowing, the cold seemed to be bitter, the wind biting at the teen's face.

"They're right there," Spencer replied, nodding her head towards Zoey and Olivia who were indeed headed towards them, both girls ducking their heads against the cold.

"Are you guys nuts? Why didn't you wait inside?" Olivia called as they approached, both walking cautiously as they tried not to slip on the icy sidewalks.

"We were just heading there," Alex replied, teeth chattering. "Hurry up!"

"We're coming, we're coming," Zoey laughed as Olivia almost slipped, grabbing the blonde's arm to stabilize her. "Spence I hope there's going to be lots of hot chocolate tonight at your house because it's absolutely freezing."

"You got it," Spencer replied as the two girls reached her and Alex, all four headed towards the school as quick as they could.

"Man school should not be open on days like today," Olivia complained. "It's like torture forcing us to be out in this weather."

"It could be worse," Alex laughed, the four girls practically running now as they hurried to get out of the cold. "At least it's not sno…." the brunette began just as her boot hit a patch of ice she hadn't seen, slipping forward and throwing out an arm to catch herself. As her hand hit the sidewalk Alex registered a cracking sound right before the pain hit.

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Having been up all night helping the team, Hotch had told Garcia to go home and get some sleep, allowing her to start her weekend early unless another case came up in the meantime. Feeling like a zombie her entire drive home, the technical analyst dragged her feet all the way up to her apartment, dropping her things as soon as she entered and getting into bed wearing her work clothes. She had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, her dreams filled with nothing but happy thoughts that were interrupted all too soon when the ringing of her cell phone filled the room.

"What?" Garcia grumbled, having blindly answered the phone, her eyes still closed.

"Is this Penelope Garcia?" A female voice the blonde didn't recognize asked.

"Mmhmm," Garcia mumbled.

"This is Susan Greer, I'm one of Alexandra's teachers at Lowell," the female explained.

"Alex?" Garcia repeated, sitting up quickly, suddenly wide awake.

"Yes I'm with Alex now headed to the hospital," Mrs. Greer explained loudly, obviously on speakerphone. "She told me her mothers were out of town and you're her other emergency contact."

"Hospital?" Garcia exclaimed, jumping out of bed and heading towards the door, still dressed in the previous day's outfit. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"She slipped on the ice and I'm pretty certain her wrist is broken," the teacher explained. "Can you meet us there?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Garcia replied, grabbing her purse off the floor and running out the door.

Previously exhausted, Garcia now felt completely energized; her worry for Alex giving her the boost she needed to make her way to her car in record time, completely unaware of the freezing cold. The blonde drove as fast as she could without getting pulled over, knowing she needed to get to the teenager in one piece. Garcia was also aware she needed to call Emily and let her know what was going on, but wanted to wait to see Alex for herself before she did.

As soon as Garcia reached the hospital she parked her car as quickly as possible before running inside, not even sure of where she should be going. Seeing a check in desk, the blonde immediately made her way over, feeling slightly frantic.

"Hey, hi," Garcia greeted the woman sitting on the other side of the desk. "I'm looking for my niece, Alexandra Campbell. She should have just come in with a possible broken wrist."

"She's waiting for the hall to see a doctor," the nurse explained. "Third door on your right. They'll need you to sign a few things so we can treat her."

"Okay, thank you," Garcia called, already speed walking her way down the hall in search of the young brunette.

Garcia found the room easily, walking in to find Alex sitting next to her teacher, holding her wrist as tears streamed down her face.

"Penelope," Alex called as soon as the blonde came into view, relief evident in her voice.

"Oh Pumpkin, what happened?" Garcia asked, kissing the teen on the head and sitting in the chair next to her.

"I didn't see the ice," Alex replied sadly. "Tried to catch myself. It really hurts," she said as the tears continued to fall.

"Haven't they given you anything for the pain?" Garcia asked looking to Alex's teacher though the question was directed at the teen.

"They need you to sign for that," Mrs. Greer explained. "I'll go get the doctor, they want to do some x-rays as well, though they're pretty certain it's broken."

"Thank you," Garcia replied as the teacher left the room in search of the doctor. "You okay?" She then asked, turning to Alex and running a hand through her hair.

"I guess," Alex shrugged. "Is Emily almost home?"

"They're flying back now," Garcia told her. "It shouldn't be too long now."

"Did you call her?"

"Not yet, I wanted to see you first," Garcia replied. "But I will as soon as we talk to the doctor okay?"

"Will you ask her to come?" Alex asked quietly.

"Oh sweetie I won't have to ask," Garcia said. "She'll probably try to fly the jet herself to get here faster."

**CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM**

Emily and the rest of the team were using their flight back to Virginia to catch up on some much needed sleep; everyone scattered throughout the plane in order to stretch out. Emily and JJ were sitting next to each other, cuddled up with their legs stretched out on the seats in front of them; both jarred from their sleep when Emily's phone began to ring.

Checking the caller I.D Emily groaned, confused as to why Garcia would be calling her. "Garcia why are you still awake?" Emily grumbled into the phone. "Jen and I told you we would call you tonight to plan girl's night."

"Listen Princess, don't panic but I'm at the hospital with Alex," Garcia replied, needing the brunette alert and listening.

"What?" Emily exclaimed, quickly sitting up in a panic; JJ immediately placing a hand on her back, knowing something was wrong. "What happened?" She asked, seeing her other team members waking up around her.

"Well I guess our little Princess isn't as graceful as her mother," Garcia replied. "She slipped on some ice and tried to catch herself when she fell," she explained. "Poor thing ended up breaking her wrist."

"Is she okay?" Emily asked, covering the mouthpiece of her phone to explain to JJ what had happened.

"She was in quite a bit of pain when I got here but they gave her something for that," Garcia explained. "They just finished her x-rays and they're going to put a cast on soon," the blonde told her. "She's asking for you though."

"Tell her I'll be there as soon as I can," Emily replied. "And Garcia thank you. For being there."

"Anything for my little princess," Garcia said. "I'll see you soon Emster."

"See you soon," Emily said, hanging up.

"What happened?" Morgan asked, coming to sit across from Emily as the rest of the team gathered around.

"Alex fell on some ice and broke her wrist," Emily replied, picking at her nails nervously, wishing she could be on the ground with her daughter. "Garcia's with her, waiting to get a cast on."

"Poor kid," Morgan said, shaking his head. "She really can't catch a break can she?"

"She does seem to be having a pretty rotten year," Rossi agreed.

"Did Garcia say how she's doing?" JJ asked, reaching out and taking one of Emily's hands in order to stop the nail picking.

"They gave her something for the pain, but she's asking for me," Emily replied, sounding upset.

"We should be landing in about twenty minutes," Reid assured her looking at his watch. "You'll be there soon. The drive to the hospital isn't too long."

"Especially with me driving," Morgan said.

"Oh you don't have to do that," Emily replied. "We've been up all day, you should go home and get some rest."

"Well first of all I drove you and JJ to the airstrip remember?" Morgan pointed out. "And second I'll be fine. I gotta make sure my little Princess is okay before I can go home anyway."

"I'll come too," Reid said.

"You guys really don't have to do that," Emily argued.

"Give it up Princess, we're coming," Morgan replied. "We're family"

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Emily, JJ, Morgan and Reid left Hotch and Rossi at the airstrip, assuring the two older men that they would call and update them on Alex when they could, before heading to Morgan's car, Emily and JJ in the back, with Reid up front. Emily and JJ tried not to think about how fast Morgan was driving throughout the ride, both focused on getting to Alex to ensure that she was really okay. The four agents got to the hospital in record time, Morgan dropping Emily and JJ off at the doors while he and Reid went to park the car.

Having received a text from Garcia explaining where they would be, Emily and JJ headed straight for Alex's room, finding the teen sitting in bed with a pink cast on her left wrist; Garcia sitting in a chair beside her.

"Hey," Emily practically sighed, heading straight for the bed where she sat and wrapped the teen in her arms. "Are you okay?" She asked, kissing Alex's temple.

"Yeah," Alex nodded against her shoulder. "I feel a little loopy though."

"Pain meds can do that," Emily laughed, pulling away so JJ could greet the teen as well.

"I like your cast," JJ said as she pulled the younger brunette into a hug, laughing at the fluorescent pink bandage.

"I let Garcia pick the colour," Alex replied, rolling her eyes before turning to Emily. "Can we go home now? I hate it here."

"And you officially sound just like your mother," Garcia joked, making the teen smile.

"I just want to talk to the doctor and then I'll see if we can get out of here okay?" Emily replied. "Jen will stay with you," she said as Garcia got up to help the brunette find the doctor.

"So rough day huh?" JJ said as she sat next to Alex on the bed, putting an arm around the teen's shoulder; Alex immediately leaning into the embrace.

"You guys should just put me in a bubble or something," Alex replied, sounding slightly bitter.

"Well I can look into that but I'm sure things will turn around for you eventually," JJ said, kissing the teen's head. "You've just been having a rough year."

"You're telling me," Alex agreed as JJ tried to stifle a yawn. "Tired?" The teen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We didn't sleep last night," JJ replied.

"Sorry," Alex apologized, feeling guilty that JJ and Emily had been forced to come to the hospital rather than return home to sleep.

"Are you honestly apologizing for breaking your wrist?" JJ teased, poking the teen in the ribs, happy to see the smile on the brunette's face.

The pair fell silent, JJ stroking her hand through Alex's long locks, both pairs of eyes beginning to drift shut. They had both begun to fall into sleep when Emily returned, smiling and shaking her head as she took in the sight of the two females falling asleep.

"Are you two coming home with me or should I leave you here to sleep?" Emily called, causing both sets of eyes to open.

"I can go?" Alex asked sleepily. "Do I have to go back to school?"

"I think you can miss one day," Emily laughed. "Now lets get you two home to sleep in a real bed," she said, picking up Alex's coat and helping the teen put in on.

Emily wrapped an arm around her daughter as she and JJ led the teen down the hall where their teammates were waiting for them; Alex allowing herself to be pulled along sleepily.

"What are they doing here?" Alex asked when she noticed Penelope was standing down the hall with both Morgan and Reid.

"They're our ride," JJ replied from Emily's other side.

"Hey kid how you feeling?" Morgan asked when they reached them.

"Okay…" Alex replied. "A little embarrassed."

"You shouldn't be," Reid told her. "Wrists are the most commonly broken bone in the arm, usually as a result of a sport injury or a fall just like yours."

"Oh….well that makes me feel better than," Alex replied sarcastically, a fact which Reid seemed to miss as he smiled at the teen.

"I think we better get these two home," Emily said, gesturing towards Alex and JJ, both of whom looked dead on their feet. "I'm not sure how much longer they'll last."

"I'm…fine," JJ replied through a yawn.

"Sure you are," Emily laughed, taking the blonde's hand. "Come on you nut. You need sleep."

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As soon as they returned home, Alex, JJ and Emily had all headed upstairs, wordlessly making their way into their rooms to change into pajamas before crawling into bed, all in desperate need of sleep. Feeling slightly drowsy after the days events, Alex had silently made her way into the master bedroom, crawling into bed between the couple, Emily immediately wrapping her arms around her, while JJ took her good hand in hers; all three easily drifting off to sleep.

Emily was the first to wake later that day, smiling at the sight of Alex asleep next to her; her brown hair covering most of her face, while JJ's arm was thrown over her waist. Careful not to disturb the sleeping pair, Emily quietly made her way into the bathroom, deciding to take a shower in order to fully wake herself up.

It was a half hour later when she reemerged, making her way back into the bedroom to find JJ still fast asleep, while Alex lay next to her with her eyes open.

"Hey you," Emily whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed and tucking Alex's hair out of her face. "How's the wrist?"

"It's a little sore," Alex replied quietly.

"Yeah the doctor said it probably would be," Emily said. "We'll get you a couple aspirin."

"Do you think you can get me out from under JJ's arm first?" Alex asked. "I really need to go to the bathroom," she told Emily, making the brunette laugh.

Carefully Emily lifted JJ's arm, allowing Alex to slip out of bed and run quickly towards the bathroom.

"Why don't we head downstairs and let that one rest some more," Emily suggested when Alex came back out of the bathroom a few minutes later, nodding towards the still sleeping blonde. "She could use the extra sleep."

"Okay," Alex nodded, following Emily out of the room and down the stairs where the brunette went into the kitchen to grab some aspirin for the teen. "I know I'm supposed to stay at Spencer's tonight but do you think I could stay home?" The teen asked after downing the small pills. "I'm not really feeling like a slumber party tonight."

"Of course," Emily replied as she followed the teen into the living room. "You should call them and let them know you're okay though."

"I text Spencer earlier but I'll call her in a little bit," Alex told her, moving to snuggle against the older woman's side as they sat on the couch. "They'll probably want to come by for a bit too."

"Not a problem," Emily replied, kissing the top of the teen's head as she wrapped an arm around her. "So what exactly happened today? You just wiped out?"

"I didn't see the ice," Alex said with a soft laugh. "We were trying to get out of the cold. One minute I was walking beside Spencer, the next I'm hitting the ground," she explained. "Hurt like hell too."

"I bet," Emily laughed. "We'll have to get you some wrist pads and a helmet for the rest of the winter," she teased.

"Ha ha," Alex replied, pinching Emily's side. "I'm glad you find my misfortune funny."

"Aw I'm just bugging," Emily said, pulling the teen closer against her side. "You scared me today you know. When Garcia said hospital I thought I was going to have to take over the jet so I could get home."

"Sorry," Alex laughed. "I'll try to make sure you're home next time I decide to break something," she joked.

"I appreciate that," Emily smiled. "Now are you going to let me be the first one to sign that cast or what?"

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Alex was uncharacteristically clingy throughout the day, snuggling up to whichever woman sat next to her on the couch, the three of them enjoying a few hours of mindless television as they relaxed. Alex's friends had stopped by late in the day, all three signing Alex's cast while telling her about what she had missed at school that day. The three chatted and laughed happily before the trio headed back to Spencer's with plans to come back the next day to spend the afternoon with Alex.

JJ and Emily had decided not to cancel girl's night, knowing that Garcia was likely to show up whether they invited her or not. Alex was excited to be able to spend time with Garcia, though slightly worried since she knew the enthusiastic blonde was likely to dote on her all night.

When the doorbell rang just before 7pm, Emily pulled herself from the couch, smiling at the sight of JJ and Alex snuggled up on the other end of the large sofa. She quickly made her way to the door, surprised when she opened it to find not only Garcia, but also Morgan who held boxes of pizzas as well as a gift bag.

"You crashing girls night buddy?" Emily laughed, taking the pizza, and moving aside to let her friends inside.

"I wanted to check on the little Princess," Morgan replied. "Plus I'm not the only crasher," he said, nodding back towards the driveway where Rossi's car was pulling in.

"You guys do know she's fine right?" Emily said, shaking her head despite the fact that she was actually kind of touched by her friends' concern.

"They just needed to see for themselves," Garcia replied before bounding towards the family room to find her favourite teenager.

"Is this where the party is?" Rossi called as he came in carrying flowers as well as a grocery bag, followed closely by Reid who also carried a gift.

"Apparently," Emily laughed. "Come on in," she said, before shutting the door and leading them towards the family room.

"What are you guys all doing here?" Alex asked, sitting up as she noticed the three men come into the room.

"We just wanted to check up on our girl," Morgan replied, moving to hug the young brunette, handing her the gift bag as he pulled away.

"You bought me a teddy bear?" Alex asked, looking inside the bag before pulling out the plush, brown bear.

"Well I thought you might like it," Morgan replied.

"Plus he has no idea what to buy teenage girls," Garcia teased, having had given Alex a bag of magazines and makeup for girls night.

"Thanks Derek," Alex smiled.

"Well I brought ice cream," Rossi announced, bending down to kiss the teen's cheek. "Your favourite. Plus flowers from Hotch. He's busy with Jack tonight but he said he'd call to check in tomorrow," the older man explained.

"Oh you got the good stuff," JJ said, looking into the grocery bag Rossi handed Alex.

"With lots of extra for any pregnant ladies Alex may want to share with," Rossi replied, giving the blonde a wink.

"I'll put this in the freezer and get us some plates for dinner," JJ said, getting up from the couch and heading towards the kitchen.

"I brought you a book," Reid said as he approached the couch, handing Alex the wrapped object. "I read a few while I was at the store and I thought you'd like this one best," he explained.

"Thanks Reid," Alex smiled. "I'm sure it's great," she said. "You know you guys really didn't have to do all this."

"Of course we did," Morgan replied.

"Yeah we're a family you goof," Garcia added. "Now hand me a marker I wanna sign that cast," she said as she took a seat next to the teen, while Emily went to sit on Alex's other side.

"That boyfriend of yours isn't here?" Rossi asked curiously.

"No he's going away with his dad this weekend, but he called," Alex replied with a smile, knowing Rossi worried about her dating whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"Guys grab some pizza," JJ called from the dining table where she had placed some plates. "Drinks are in the fridge," she added. "Help yourself."

"You know you've got quite the team," Alex said, turning to Emily next to her who had a smile on her face.

"They're nuts," Emily replied. "But I love them," she smiled as Morgan came over with plates of pizza, handing one to each brunette before returning to the dining room to get his own.

"Me too," Alex agreed. "They're pretty amazing."


	7. Waiting is the Worst

**So this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would be, which is why the update took me longer than I had hoped, but I really think it's worth it! I hope you guys are happy with how this turned out!**

**I owe a huge thanks to O.T who gave me quite a few suggestions for this chapter so THANK YOU! And I really hope you like it!**

**Enjoy! -J**

**Chapter 7 – Waiting is the Worst**

"I hate this cast," Alex said as she lay on the couch, holding her arm above her in examination.

"Well given that it's only been 24 hours you better get used to it," Emily laughed sitting in the recliner across from the teen reading a book.

Alex has spent the day with her friends, the girls holding up in Alex's room where their laughter could be heard throughout the day. For her part Alex seemed to feel less grumpy about her wrist since the team left the previous night, but she already disliked the solid object surrounding her injured limb.

"It's itchy," Alex complained, looking for a way to itch the skin beneath the cast.

"Don't think about it," Emily replied without taking her eyes off her book.

"Easy for you to say," Alex huffed, dropping her arm and crossing it over her chest.

"Oh don't pout," Emily said, putting her book down and crossing the room to sit on the edge of the couch next to the teen. "You'll get used to it, and it's only 4 weeks. It'll be off before you know it."

"That's like forever," Alex argued. "And the doctor said it could be longer."

"Well aren't you just a negative Nancy today," Emily teased, poking at the teen's side and making her laugh.

"Okay, okay," Alex laughed as Emily continued to tickle her sides. "I'll stop pouting…just stop tickling me…" she continued to laugh, panting as Emily finally released her.

"Feeling better?" Emily asked, stroking the teen's hair out of her face.

"Yeah, sorry," Alex apologized. "I don't mean to be so pouty."

"Trust me kid I get it," Emily said, leaning forward to place a kiss on the younger brunette's forehead.

"Hey Em, I'm going to run to the store," JJ called as she came down the stairs, already wearing her coat, her purse in hand.

"What? Why?" Emily replied, sitting up to look at the blonde over the couch.

"I'm hungry," JJ replied simply.

"Jen last time I checked the kitchen was full of food," Emily pointed out as Alex giggled beside her.

"We don't have what I want," JJ said, rubbing her pregnant belly over her coat.

"Well it's late, and cold why don't you let me go," Emily argued, not really wanting her pregnant girlfriend out and about alone on a winter's night.

"Last time you got the wrong chips," JJ replied.

"No last time you changed your mind before I got home," Emily said.

"I know, which is why it'll just be easier if I just go," JJ pointed out. "I won't be long, promise."

"Can I come?" Alex asked, sitting up and turning to the blonde. "I want chocolate," she said, turning to Emily who simply raised an eyebrow in reply. "What? I broke my wrist, I deserve chocolate."

"Yeah sure, grab your coat," JJ replied as Alex immediately jumped up from the couch, running up the stairs to grab her things.

"You're crazy you know that," Emily said as she stood, coming around the couch to stand in front of JJ.

"Yeah, but you love me," JJ smiled, leaning forward to pull the brunette into a kiss.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Emily teased as JJ swatted her. "Don't be long okay?"

"Okay mom," JJ laughed, giving Emily another quick kiss as Alex came bounding down the stairs ready to go. "We'll be back before you know it my love."

"Try not to miss us too much," Alex called as she followed the blonde towards the door. "Love you!"

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Feeling an urgent craving for some sort of snack food JJ drove herself and Alex to the nearest corner store where she and Emily often made quick stops at night. Parking the car close to the store to avoid the cold, JJ turned off the vehicle before she and Alex headed quickly inside.

"What are you getting?" Alex asked as she held the door open for the blonde.

"Chips….cookies," JJ replied, her face scrunched up in thought. "Maybe some ice cream…OH or one of those slushie things."

"It's a good thing you didn't send Emily," Alex laughed, feeling like they were probably going to be in the store for a while if JJ kept changing her mind. "I'm going to find some chocolate," she said heading in the opposite direction as the blonde.

JJ slowly made her way around the store, browsing the shelves in search of something that would fulfill her cravings, eventually meeting Alex in front of the chocolate bars.

"You still haven't picked?" JJ asked as she approached the teen.

"I don't know what I want," Alex replied, turning to the blonde. "Looks like you found a few things," she laughed seeing that JJ's arms were full of various snack foods.

"I thought I'd stock up," JJ shrugged, hearing the chime of the bell indicating that another customer had walked in. "Man it's busier than usual in here," she said, looking around. "Usually it's empty."

"Okay I think I want this one," Alex said, picking up a Kit-Kat as the door chimed once again. "Are you don…"

"Nobody move," A male voice yelled, locking the door to the store behind him. "Just nobody move!"

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Knowing JJ was likely to take some time choosing her snacks Emily curled back up on the recliner, opening up her book and returning to where she had left off before she had joined Alex on the couch. When she had gotten through the chapter she was on and the girls still hadn't returned, Emily looked at her watch noting it had been half an hour. Shaking her head with a laugh the brunette sent JJ a text asking if they got lost, knowing that the drive to the small store was under 5 minutes.

When another 15 minutes passed and JJ hadn't text her back, Emily picked up the phone, beginning to worry as she hit the speed dial for the blonde's phone. When JJ didn't answer, Emily tried Alex's phone, getting agitated when the teen's voicemail eventually picked up.

"Hey kid it's me," Emily said. "You guys are taking an awfully long time over there. Can you just call me back and let me know you're okay? Thanks," she said before hanging up, rising to her feet and beginning to pace.

Emily knew it was probably foolish to panic, but she couldn't help but worry since JJ always answered her phone. Contemplating what she should do, and watching time ticking by on her watch, the brunette continued to pace eventually sighing as she grabbed her purse deciding to head to the store herself.

Grabbing her keys and coat, Emily locked up the house before getting in her car, pulling out of the driveway and heading in the direction of the corner store Emily knew JJ was likely to go to. Driving faster than normal, Emily was around the corner from the store within a couple minutes, her stomach dropping as the red and blue lights of police cars came into view.

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As soon as the man came into the store yelling for everyone not to move JJ immediately dropped the things in her hands and pushed Alex behind her; the teen grabbing her arm tightly in fear. With a gun in his hand, the man, whom JJ assumed to be in his late thirties, had directed all the customers to stand against the back wall. Besides JJ and Alex there was also a mother and her young son, 3 teenagers and a couple who was likely in their twenties, along with the cashier, who still stood behind the counter.

"I want all of you to empty out your pockets, and your purses," the man yelled, holding his gun towards the customers. "And you," he said, turning towards the cashier. "Empty out that register and anything else you have back there," he instructed looking agitated.

Not wanting to anger the man JJ did as he asked, taking her purse and throwing it towards the hum, the other customers following suit. Hoping the man would take what he came for and leave, JJ kept herself in front of Alex, feeling the teen shaking nervously behind her, occasionally sniffing as tears fell down her cheeks.

"It's okay," JJ whispered, reaching back to take the teen's hand, which was still gripping her arm tightly. "It'll be okay. I'm right here," she assured the teen.

"Come on what are you doing back there," the man said, turning to the cashier while keeping his gun trained on the customers who were still emptying out their things. "I don't have all night here. Let's go," he said angrily.

"Why are you doing this?" The young cashier asked, his hands shaking as he pulled bills from his drawer.

"Because I had nothing better to do tonight," the man replied sarcastically. "Listen I don't have time for a chat alright. Just do what I asked and no one will get hurt," he instructed just as the sounds of sirens filled the air, causing him to turn towards the door to see the flashing lights getting closer to the store. "What did you do? Did you call them?" He yelled.

"I just…I…." The cashier stuttered.

"Did you?" The man repeated even louder, causing the little boy in the store to begin crying, his mother desperately trying to calm him down.

"Okay just stay calm," JJ said calmly, wanting to keep the situation under control.

"Shut up," the man yelled, turning his gun on JJ.

"JJ," Alex whispered urgently, tightening her grip on the blonde's arm.

"Now answer my question," the robber yelled at the cashier. "Did you call them?"

"I pushed the emergency button," the cashier confessed, sounding nervous. "I'm sorry. I panicked okay?"

"Why would you do that?" The man yelled. "Why would you do that? God dammit," he yelled turning the gun back on the cashier. "Why? You ruined everything. Why couldn't you just listen to me?" He yelled, clearly panicking. "Dammit," he yelled once again, JJ flinching as a shot rang out.

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As soon as she saw the police lights outside the store, Emily quickly pulled into the parking lot, noting JJ's car parked in the lot as she ran out of the car in search of the nearest officer. Using her badge to identify herself Emily had immediately demanded to know what was going on, explaining that her daughter and girlfriend were inside. The officer explained that they got a call via the store's panic button informing them of a robbery in progress. From what they could tell the man had a gun, which had gone off once since they arrived. The cops weren't sure if anyone was hurt, but they knew there was 9 hostages plus the cashier inside.

Offering her assistance Emily had immediately called Hotch, trying not to fall apart as she explained the situation to her boss. Hotch was there within 10 minutes, the rest of the team showing up not long after.

"Where are they? Are they okay?" Garcia called as she and Morgan came running into the parking lot.

"I don't know," Emily replied, biting her lip nervously. "They're definitely inside though."

"Has anyone tried to make contact?" Rossi asked, as he joined the BAU group gathered together.

"We were just about to," Hotch replied. "You care to take the lead?"

"Definitely," Rossi nodded. "Hey kid," he called, looking to Emily who simply looked back with wide, worried eyes. "They're gonna be fine you hear me? JJ will know what to do. Don't you worry."

"Thanks," Emily replied with a small, sad smile as Rossi followed Hotch towards one of the officers where they planed to call the store in hopes of talking to the man holding the people inside.

"Do you think he's going to answer us?" Rossi asked Hotch as they dialed the number for the store.

"No," Hotch replied. "But I think JJ will convince him to."

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In his moment of panic the robber had shot his gun, hitting the store cashier in the left shoulder, the young man immediately falling to the ground in pain. JJ had to resist the urge to run to the cashier, wanting to help but knowing she needed to stay with Alex in order to protect the teen. It had taken some time but JJ eventually convinced the man to allow one of the other hostages to go around the counter to help the cashier, the young man who was there with his girlfriend immediately volunteering.

It was few minutes later when the store phone began to ring, startling Alex, whom JJ could feel jump in fright behind her. Currently pacing back and forth agitatedly, the robber ignored the phone, letting it ring until it eventually stopped for a short time, before starting to ring again.

"You need to answer that," JJ finally said, knowing who was likely calling having noticed Morgan's jeep pulling into the parking lot earlier, indicating that her whole team was likely to be standing outside.

"I don't want to talk to them," the man replied, continuing to pace.

"They'll keep calling back," JJ replied as Alex squeezed her arm tighter. "They'll have heard the shot, they'll need to know what happened."

Turning to JJ looking angry the man finally relented, moving to the counter and taking the phone, his gun still trained on the hostages. "What?" He demanded as he answered the phone.

"Hello," The voice of David Rossi replied. "This is David Rossi with the D.C Police," he lied, not wanting to panic the man with the fact that the FBI was there. "Who am I speaking to."

"You uh…you can call me Billy," the man replied.

"Alright Billy," Rossi said. "How are we doing in there? We heard shots, we just want to make sure that everyone's okay."

"I…this wasn't supposed to happen," Billy replied, sounding anxious. "It was supposed to be easy. There weren't supposed to be cops," he said. "He wasn't supposed to call the cops."

"What happened Billy?" Rossi asked.

"I just needed some money for my son," Billy replied. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I just…I panicked when I heard the cops."

"Did you hurt anyone Billy?"

"I didn't mean to," Billy replied. "I freaked out. I hit the cashier in the shoulder," he explained. "He doesn't look great," he said, chancing a glance at the young man who was still lying on the floor, as the other man held a cloth over his wound.

"Alright well why don't we talk about you letting everyone go Billy," Rossi suggested. "Why don't you come out here so we can talk."

"I can't do that," Billy denied. "I know what will happen if I come out there. I can't do that," he repeated. "I just wanted to help my son," he said hanging up the phone, his head falling in his hands as he considered his options, eventually pulling the phone out of the wall as it continued to ring.

Seeing this JJ's stomach dropped in dread, knowing that if her team wouldn't be able to get a hold of Billy then it would be up to her to find a safe way out of the situation. Watching as Billy seemed to melt down, JJ considered her words carefully, allowing a few moments silence before deciding to speak.

"How old is your son?" She asked carefully, squeezing Alex's hand to assure the teen that it would be okay.

"He's seven," Billy replied, his eyes glancing over JJ's stomach. "He's got leukemia."

"I'm sorry," JJ said sincerely. "That must be really hard."

"He's just so sick," Billy replied, his anger dissipating as his voice filled with sadness. "He needs so much help, but the medical bills are just too much. My family is just drowning."

"So you came here," JJ stated, finally understanding the man's motive, realizing that he really wasn't a bad person.

"I didn't know what else to do."

"You need to let these people go," JJ said. "You cut off the cop's connection. They'll storm this place if you don't let everyone go."

"I can't," Billy denied. "I can't do that. They'll arrest me and I'll never see my son again. I shot someone," he said, sounding frightened. "I can't go out there."

"I'll stay with you," JJ said, ignoring Alex holding her arm even tighter. "He needs help," she said, gesturing towards the cashier who was losing a lot of blood. "Let him go and let them help him," she said, gesturing towards the other hostages who were happy to let the blonde negotiate with the older man. "I'll stay here with you."

"JJ," Alex whispered in fear.

"I…I can't," Billy replied shaking his head, his gun shaking in his hand.

"Billy you're a father," JJ said. "My daughter is here. There are kids here," she said, gesturing towards the young boy with his mother as well as the three teens who looked terrified. "They're scared. Let them go and we can work this out. Just you and me," she tried, not sure if she was truly getting through to the man, as he looked from her to Alex, to the other kids.

"You'll stay?" He asked, as JJ nodded in confirmation. "Alright fine, but no one better try anything," he said. "And you stay," he repeated.

"JJ," Alex called, her eyes filling with tears as the blonde turned to face her. "I…you….you can't stay. I'm not leaving without you," she cried.

"Honey I need you to do this for me okay?" JJ said, taking the teen's face in her hands. "I'm going to be okay, but I need to know you're safe. Your mom needs you safe," she said knowing Emily was likely losing her mind with worry. "I love you so much. You need to do this for me okay?"

"I don't want to," Alex shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

"I know baby," JJ replied. "It'll be okay. I'll be with you soon okay?" She said, a tear escaping down her own cheek as she placed a kiss on the teen's forehead.

"I love you," Alex choked out, throwing her arms around the blonde as she continued to sob.

"You go with them now okay," JJ whispered, releasing the brunette who looked so much like Emily. "It'll be okay."

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After Billy hung up on Rossi, Emily was a ball of anxiety. As much as she wanted to believe that everything would be all right, the brunette couldn't help but worry, afraid of losing the two most important people in her life. The team had no idea what was going on inside that store and Emily wished she could just hear from Alex or JJ just to confirm they were both okay.

"We need to get in there," one of the local police said, approaching the team and snapping Emily out of her daze.

"If we go in there now someone's going to get hurt," Hotch replied shaking his head.

"Someone's already hurt," the officer pointed out.

"I know that, but if you barge in there now this guy is going to start shooting," Hotch said. "There are kids in there. There's a pregnant woman in there," he explained. "We can't risk one of them losing their lives."

"Something's happening," Reid said, pointing towards the store where there was now movement near the door for the first time, prompting the police force to train their guns on the door.

"Hold your fire," Morgan called, seeing two men coming out the door, one clearly injured as the other held most of his weight. "It's the hostages," he said, unsure of why Billy had given in so easily.

Emily's focus remained on the door, frozen in place until she saw Alex walk out the door, tears streaming down her face as she looked around, searching for the older brunette. As soon as Alex's gaze fell on her, the teen began to run towards her; Emily's feet beginning to work on their own as she began walking towards her daughter, not seeing JJ locking the door to the store behind the other hostages as she remained inside.

"Alex," Emily sighed as the teen threw her arms around her neck, sobbing into her shoulder. "Oh sweetie it's okay," Emily soothed. "It's okay. You're okay," she whispered, running her hand over the teen's hair as she looked around behind her, searching for her girlfriend's familiar blonde hair. "Honey where's Jen?"

"She's….she's not coming," Alex replied through a sob as the rest of the team came up behind Emily, noticing JJ's absence.

"What do you mean she's not coming?" Emily asked, pulling back to look at her daughter's face.

"She said if he let us g-go… that she would stay with him," Alex explained, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "She wouldn't come with me."

"She wanted to protect the kids," Rossi said.

"Hotch we need to get her out of there," Emily turned to her boss, afraid of what the clearly panicked man might do in the store with her girlfriend.

"We will," Hotch replied. "But JJ is clearly getting through to him. She'll keep working that."

"Garcia I need you to take Alex home," Emily then said, wanting her daughter as far away from this store as possible.

"No," Alex quickly denied. "I'm not leaving."

"Alex I need you to go home," Emily said, resting her hands on the teen's shoulders. "I need to know you're safe."

"I'm not leaving until JJ is out of there," Alex replied stubbornly.

"Alex."

"Mom," Alex practically shouted, surprising even herself as Emily simply stared at her with her mouth open in surprise. "Please," she whispered as a lone tear slipped down her cheek.

"O…okay," Emily relented, seeing the fear in her daughter's eyes. "But I need you to wait in the car with Pen okay?"

"Okay," Alex nodded as Garcia wrapped an arm around her to lead her towards where Emily's car was parked.

"Em?" Morgan said, coming up beside the brunette, seeing the mixed emotions written all over his friend's face.

"Not now Morgan," Emily shook her head. "Not now."

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"How far along are you?" Billy asked as he and JJ sat on the ground at the back of the store, the blonde trying her best to come up with some sort of plan.

"I'm a little over five months," JJ replied, her hand finding her swollen stomach.

"So this is your second then?" He asked. "I mean that was your daughter in here earlier right?"

"Alex is my stepdaughter," JJ replied, knowing this was the easiest way to explain who Alex was to her, even though she and Emily weren't married. "So technically this is my first, but I love Alex like she's my own."

"Do you know what you're having?"

"Not yet," JJ replied shaking her head. "I plan to find out at my next appointment though," she said, hoping with all she had that she would be able to make that appointment.

"You're a cop aren't you?" Billy finally asked after a moment's silence. "That's why you knew what to do earlier. That's why you volunteered to stay."

"I'm not a cop," JJ replied. "But…but I am a media liaison for the Behavioural Analysis Unit," she said deciding to stick to being honest.

"FBI?" He said, sounding both surprised and nervous as JJ nodded in reply. "What did I do," he said, speaking to himself as he lent his head back against the counter behind him.

"You made a mistake," JJ told him. "You wanted to help your son and you saw no other way. It was a mistake," the blonde said. "Now why don't we just walk out of here and put an end to all this."

"They're not just going to let me go," Billy replied. "I shot someone. I'm never going to see my son again," he said shaking his head.

"You will," JJ assured him. "I'll go with you. I'll help you," she said. "You made a mistake."

"You don't understand," Billy said. "My wife is already threatening divorce," he confessed. "She thinks I'm useless; that I can't do anything right. She'll never let me near my son again," he said. "Not after this."

"Billy," JJ said, unsure of what to say.

"I have nothing left," he muttered, lifting his gun, sadly.

"Billy," JJ repeated, shaking nervously, the man seeming to no longer hear her.

"I have nothing left," he repeated, tears slipping down his face.

"No!" JJ shouted, just as the shot rang out.

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As soon as they heard the shot the BAU along with the officers on scene rushed towards the store, Emily leading the pack as she hoped and prayed that JJ would be okay. Afraid of what she might find, but needing to know, Emily made her way inside quickly, her team at her sides as she held her gun at the ready.

As she turned the corner though, her gun arm dropped to her side, finding Billy lying on the ground, blood flowing from where he shot himself in the head as JJ sat in front of him staring in shock.

"Jen," Emily called, quickly moving to bend down in front of the blonde as the rest of the team surrounded them. "Jennifer," she repeated when she got no reply, snapping the liaison from her thoughts.

"I…I tried," JJ said, still staring at Billy's body. "I thought I was getting through to him," she said sounding monotone.

"Come on you need to get out of here," Emily said, reaching out to help the blonde, who didn't protest, to her feet. "You did everything you could Jen. You did so good," she said, kissing JJ's temple as she led the blonde to the store's exit, feeling her shaking against her.

As they exited the store Emily noticed Alex and Garcia standing not too far back, Garcia holding the teen, who was clearly crying, not knowing what was going on inside the store. When Alex looked up to see Emily and JJ leaving the store though, the teen pulled herself from Garcia's arms, quickly making her way towards the couple as she continued to cry, now in relief.

"Jen," Emily said, nodding her head towards Alex who was quickly approaching, JJ releasing herself from Emily's arms as the teen threw herself into the blonde's arms.

"I'm okay," JJ whispered, seeming to have snapped out of her shocked state. "It's okay," she said, kissing Alex's head as the teen sobbed into her jacket.

"Jen we need to get you to the hospital," Emily said, placing a hand on the blonde's back as she stroked a hand through her daughter's hair. "All this stress can't be good for the baby. We need to get you checked out."

"Yeah, okay," JJ agreed softly. "Just as long as you both come," she said. "And I need to see the team first."

"Whatever you want," Emily replied, kissing the blonde's head again, feeling incredibly relieved to have her with her again. "Whatever you want."

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Emily JJ and Alex waited for the rest of the team to come out of the store, spending a few minutes talking to them and assuring them that JJ was fine before leaving for the hospital, promising the team that they would call them all as soon as JJ was checked out. As much as she knew the team wanted to come with them to the hospital, Emily was grateful that they agreed to remain behind as she drove as fast as she could towards the hospital, JJ and Alex sitting together in the back seat.

Having called JJ's doctor, the pair didn't have to wait long when they arrived, making their way into an exam room with Alex at their side as they waited for Dr. Morrison to come in.

"You feeling okay?" Emily asked as JJ lay on the bed, looking better than she had back at the scene.

"Yeah I'm okay," JJ nodded. "But I want to make sure the baby's okay," she said. "What about you kid?" She asked, turning her head towards Alex who was being rather quiet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Alex replied quietly. "It's just been a really long day."

"That it has," Emily agreed, knowing she would need to talk to her daughter about everything soon since she was clearly shaken up.

"I'm definitely ready to get home to bed," JJ said with a yawn just as Dr. Morrison made her way into the room.

"Jennifer, Emily, Alex," the doctor greeted. "I heard we had some excitement tonight."

"I'm not sure I would call it that," JJ replied as the doctor began looking over her readouts.

"We just wanted to come in and make sure everything was okay," Emily explained. "Given the stress of the situation."

"That's understandable," the doctor replied. "And it looks like your blood pressure is a little higher than normal, which is to be expected," she said. "But it's lowered quite a bit since you've been here," she explained. "What do you say we take a look at your baby though, just to make sure everything looks good?"

"Please," JJ replied as the doctor immediately began setting up for the ultrasound.

It was a few minutes before the doctor placed the machine over JJ's stomach, moving the wand around until a clear picture of the baby filled the screen. "Well there's your baby," Dr. Morrison said, turning up the volume so the sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room, bringing smiles to JJ, Emily and Alex's faces.

"The baby's okay?" Emily asked in concern.

"Everything looks perfect," Dr. Morrison assured her.

"Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" Alex asked, still sounding quiet even though there was a touch of excitement in her voice.

"Is that something you want to know?" The doctor asked, turning to JJ, who looked at Emily who nodded.

"Yes," JJ quickly replied.

"Well," Dr. Morrison said, moving the wand a little more to get a clearer picture. "It looks like you're going to have a son," she said with a smile.

"It's a boy?" JJ asked, turning to both Emily and Alex, both of whom wore matching smiles. "It's a boy," she repeated, suddenly feeling more than okay.

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**So I originally had no intention of Alex calling Emily mom during this story, but the moment just felt right, and I promise we'll talk about that in the next chapter for sure! I think we've got 2 more chapters before I start my next story, which I have big plans for! Hope you guys enjoyed! -J**


	8. Dealing and Celebrating

**I'm so sorry I've kept you guys waiting on this chapter! It seemed like every time I tried to take some time to write I got called into work early or I somehow got distracted! I hope you'll enjoy what I came up with though!**

**I have one more chapter I want to do and then I'm going to return to my regular chapter format- a story, which I already have a few ideas for!**

**So thanks for reading! You guys are the best! -J**

**Chapter 8- Dealing and Celebrating**

In the week following the incident at the store Alex did her best to act normal. While at home under the watchful eyes of her mothers the teen put up a happy front, spending her time talking about the baby and helping JJ plan the nursery. While at school, Alex put on a smile and focused on her schoolwork. The young brunette did everything she could to appear unaffected by that dreaded Saturday night, but deep down she knew she wasn't fooling anyone.

Emily and JJ talked about the night with Alex several times, the teen constantly reassuring them that she was okay. While staying with the Hastings while Emily and JJ were away Spencer had constantly asked her friend if she was having trouble sleeping, noticing the dark circles taking residence under Alex's eyes, but Alex constantly claimed she was just stressed out because of school.

Alex was bottling everything up to the point where she was becoming a ticking time bomb; everyone simply standing by and waiting for the teen to finally go off, something, which seemed inevitable even to Alex. Worried, Emily had scheduled an appointment with Dr. Sullivan; Alex reluctantly agreeing to it since she knew it had helped in the past.

"Miss Campbell," Alex's history teacher called the morning of her appointment. "Miss Campbell," he called louder, making his way towards where Alex was seated, her face hidden in her arms.

"Lex," Olivia tried, giving Alex a shove in order to wake her.

"Hmm?" Alex mumbled, lifting her head to find most of the class watching her. "Sorry what?" She asked, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

"Miss Campbell perhaps your time in my class would be better spent taking notes, instead of sleeping," her teacher sneered, making Alex slip down into her seat.

"I'm sorry," Alex apologized, picking up her pen and beginning to copy the notes from the board, as her teacher returned to the front of the class.

Alex could feel Olivia glancing at her throughout the rest of class, keeping her attention on her notes as she tried to come up with a way to get out of class without having to talk to her friend. Her attempts were futile though as Olivia stood waiting at her desk as soon as the bell rang.

"Hey you okay?" Olivia asked sounding concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Alex quickly replied as her blonde friend followed her out of class. "I guess I just stayed up too late last night. I was trying to finish up some homework," she lied.

"Lex," Olivia said, her tone indicating that she didn't believe her.

"Look I left something in my locker I'll meet you after okay?" Alex replied, not waiting for a reply as she quickly headed in the direction of her locker.

Not really needing anything from her locker, Alex went through the motions anyways, putting in her combination and rummaging in her bag pretending she was looking for something.

"Hey," Logan called loudly, coming up beside her and making her jump. "Sorry," he said, silently kicking himself since he knew the brunette had been jumpy all week. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I just didn't hear you," Alex replied, closing her locker and turning towards the blonde.

"You okay?" Logan asked, Alex's exhaustion written all over her face.

"Yeah I'm good," Alex replied with a weak smile. "Just don't want to be late for class."

"Well do you want to hang out after school today?" Logan asked, following Alex even though his own class was in the opposite direction.

"I can't I have an appointment," Alex replied. "Maybe tomorrow?" She said, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

"Sure," Logan smiled. "I'll see you at lunch," he said, giving the brunette a quick kiss before turning around to head to class.

Watching Logan go, Alex turned back around with a sigh, wishing she could just skip the rest of the day and go home and sleep. For Alex though sleep was the main problem.

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"Hey I thought Emily was picking me up," Alex said as she got in the car after school to find JJ behind the wheel.

"She got stuck on a phone call so I filled in," the blonde replied as she pulled out of her parking spot. "How was school?"

"It was alright," Alex shrugged. "I've got quite a bit of homework though."

"Well soon this term will be over and it won't seem so overwhelming," JJ said. "I know you've been working really hard and I'm willing to bet it'll pay off when you do your finals."

"I hope so," Alex replied with a small smile as she tried to stifle a yawn, knowing JJ and Emily were worried about her not sleeping.

The rest of the drive was made in relative silence as JJ navigated the roads while Alex spent her time texting Logan and Spencer. When they arrived at Dr. Sullivan's office Alex only had to wait a few minutes before the woman at the front desk led her into the Doctor's office.

"What happened to your wrist?" Dr. Sullivan asked as Alex walked in and headed for her regular seat on the couch across from the older woman.

"I slipped on some ice," Alex replied. "Apparently trying to catch myself wasn't the best idea."

"Oh no," Dr. Sullivan laughed, shaking her head. "Well how have things been other than that? I haven't seen you in a couple weeks."

"Okay I guess," Alex shrugged.

"Emily told me what happened at the store," the doctor said, knowing Alex often took some prying to really open up. "That must have been scary."

"It was," Alex replied, pausing as she considered it. "I mean I was scared at the time but I was out of there pretty quickly," she explained. "And JJ was with me…she made me feel safer."

"So then what's haunting you?" Dr. Sullivan asked. "I mean you can't be sleeping very much given the circles under your eyes. I haven't seen you look like this since our first appointment."

"School's just been really stressful lately," Alex lied even though she knew the doctor would see right through it.

"Alex this is a safe place," Dr. Sullivan said. "You can tell me the truth. Have you been having nightmares again?"

"I….I called Emily mom," Alex blurted out, completely ignoring the question. "After I got out of the store, when JJ was still in there. Emily was arguing with me about sending me home with Penelope, but I didn't want to leave without JJ. We were both getting frustrated and all of a sudden I'm calling her mom. I didn't even think about it, it just slipped right out."

"Well that's normal considering how close you and Emily are," Dr. Sullivan said. "And she is your mother."

"I know that I just…"Alex began, searching for the right words to explain how she felt.

"You just feel guilty because the only other person you ever called mom is dead?" Dr. Sullivan guessed, as Alex shrugged in response. "Alex we've been down this road about the guilt before. Your parents would want you to be happy. They'd want you to move on," she assured the teen. "They wanted you to find happiness with Emily remember?"

"I know that," Alex replied. "Deep down I know that, but sometimes it's hard to convince myself."

"Is that what the dreams are about?" Dr. Sullivan asked.

"I…I guess," Alex replied, not wanting to explain that she hadn't been sleeping enough to allow herself to dream.

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"Why did Dr. Sullivan want to talk to you?" Alex asked later when she and JJ were nearly home.

"She thinks you could benefit from going back to more regular appointments," JJ replied, not wanting to lie to the teen even though she still had to talk to Emily about it.

"Because she thinks I'm nuts?" Alex asked, biting her lip.

"Because she thinks your not being entirely open about everything," JJ told her. "She's just worried," the blonde said, seeing that Alex looked upset. "We all are," she said as Alex fell silent. "You know Em and I were talking about having the team over this weekend. We still haven't told them that the baby is a boy."

"Garcia's going to freak when she finds out you've known this long without telling her," Alex replied quietly, grateful for the topic change, the hint of a smile playing at her lips.

"I know, but we wanted to find a fun way to tell them," JJ explained.

"And did you find one?"

"I think so," JJ smiled. "But you'll have to wait and see," she said as they pulled into the two-car garage; Emily's car already occupying it's usual spot. "She's home earlier than I thought she would be," the blonde said as she and Alex got out of the car and headed inside. "Hey Em, we're home," JJ called out.

"Alex can you come in here please," Emily called back from where she was sitting in the family room.

"Hey," Alex greeted as she came into the room, JJ close behind her. "What's up?"

"Your history teacher called me today," Emily said as Alex's shoulders sagged. "You fell asleep in class today?"

"I didn't mean to," Alex replied, sinking down into the recliner across from Emily as JJ joined the older brunette on the couch. "It was only for a few minutes. I was just really tired."

"He said you've looked pretty unfocused all week," Emily said. "Which I find kind of weird since you've been going up to bed pretty early. I mean last night you went up at nine."

"I stayed up late trying to finish a book for English," Alex lied, not meeting Emily's eyes.

"Alex," Emily sighed, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice. "Why are you lying?"

"I'm not," Alex argued quickly.

"Lex even Dr. Sullivan thought you were keeping something from her," JJ pointed out.

"Honey we talked about this," Emily said, standing and making her way over to where Alex sat, kneeling in front of her. "I understand your need to act tough and keep things to yourself, really I do, because I'm exactly the same way. But it's not good for you Alex. It eats you up inside," she said. "Honey I'm here for you. Jennifer is here for you. We're worried sweetie," she continued, reaching up to wipe a stray tear as it fell down Alex's cheek. "Talk to us. Are you scared because of the robbery?"

"No," Alex replied automatically. "I mean I was a little," she sniffed. "But I'm okay now."

"Then what is it?" Emily asked. "Because I know you're not sleeping," she said trying to understand what could be bothering the teen, an idea eventually hitting her. "Is it because of what happened outside? Because you called me mom?" She asked, glancing quickly at JJ whom she hadn't even told.

"No…ye…I don't know," Alex replied sounding frustrated. "It's just…I…"

"Alex," Emily interrupted, rubbing a hand up and down the teen's leg comfortingly. "Honey you know I won't be offended if you call me Emily right? You were emotional and scared. It won't hurt my feelings if you call me Emily still," she assured Alex.

"And you know you don't have to feel guilty about it," JJ added now that she had a better understanding of what the teen had probably been thinking about all week. "Your mom would understand Alex. She wouldn't want you to feel bad about this."

"I'm afraid that if I sleep I'll dream about them," Alex finally admitted, tears still falling down her face. "I'm afraid that in my dreams they won't be themselves. That they'll be angry and mean like before," she explained sadly. "I'm afraid that I'll have to watch them die again, or that I'll have to watch you guys die. That Billy and Fields will all mix together and the nightmare will be even worse than before."

"So you're not sleeping at all?" Emily asked worriedly, once again wiping away Alex's tears.

"I sleep but not for very long," Alex told her. "I spend so much time worrying about the dreams that I have a hard time falling asleep."

"Oh honey," Emily sighed moving to squish herself onto the recliner with the teen. "I know it's hard but you can't do this to yourself; it's not healthy. You need to sleep," she said, running her fingers through long, dark locks. "You've gotta talk to us, because I promise you it'll help. If you let yourself worry and feel guilty then it's guaranteed to mess with your dreams."

"O…okay," Alex choked out, leaning into Emily's embrace.

"And maybe seeing Dr. Sullivan regularly again might be a good idea," JJ added.

"Yeah, I know," Alex agreed quietly.

"How about tonight I sleep with you?" Emily then suggested, placing a kiss against Alex's head. "That way if you do have a nightmare I'll be right there."

"Okay," Alex agreed, reaching her arms around the older brunette's waist as she rested her head against her shoulder. "I love you, you know. Both of you."

"We love you too," Emily smiled. "So, so much."

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The night after their talk Emily had slept in Alex's room with her, waking up in the middle of the night to Alex thrashing around the bed, tears streaming down her face. It had taken quite a bit of time for the older brunette to calm the teen down, eventually soothing her back to sleep as she rubbed comforting circles on her back. The next morning Emily and Alex sat down and talked about the nightmare, something, which seemed to help the younger brunette as each night following, the dreams seemed to get less and less frightening.

Since the team hadn't been called away, Emily and JJ had invited everyone over that Saturday night, explaining that they had some news they wanted to share with everyone over drinks. While Emily had gone out to purchase beverages for those who were not pregnant, Alex stayed home with JJ, helping her clean and get ready for their guests.

"So your big idea for telling the team about the baby is to feed them cake?" Alex asked as she stood in the kitchen with JJ staring at the rather plain looking cake the blonde had ordered. "You guys should have consulted me I could have given you some better ideas."

"Trust me kid there's more to that cake than meets the eye," JJ laughed, giving the teen a playful shove.

"If you say so," Alex replied, not sounding at all convinced. "Do we have any chocolate around here?"

"Cupboard over the fridge," JJ replied. "Grab me some peanut butter cups," she added knowing what was in her stash of sweets. "You know you're looking a lot better," she smiled when Alex came back over handing JJ her chocolate.

"I feel better too," Alex said. "The dreams are getting better so I'm sleeping a lot more than I was," she explained. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you guys earlier," she then said quietly, looking down.

"It's okay we get it," JJ assured her. "I mean you are a Prentiss after all," she joked, making the teen smile.

"I guess that's true," Alex laughed, before turning serious. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," JJ nodded.

"Do you ever have nightmares? I mean you guys see so much. And you were in that store a lot longer than I was. It must have been scary."

"It was," JJ confessed. "And I do get nightmares, quite a bit actually," she confessed. "Sometimes I watch Billy kill himself over again, and sometimes like you, my dreams change; mixing with older memories."

"Like what?" Alex asked curiously.

"One minute I'm watching Billy kill himself and the next it's my sister," JJ told the teen, the sadness evident in her voice. "Those dreams are the worst, but luckily Emily's always there to get me through them."

"She's pretty great like that," Alex smiled.

"Definitely," JJ agreed with a laugh. "You know you and I are pretty similar Alex. We've both lost people we love, and that can be really hard," she then said, taking the teen's hand in hers. "I hope you know you can always talk to me. Always."

"I know," Alex assured her. "And I'm going to work on making sure that I do that. I promise," she said, giving the blonde a hug. "I love you JJ."

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The team arrived later that night, starting with Garcia who was half an hour earlier than she was told to come, followed by Morgan and Reid, Hotch and Haley and then Rossi. Alex had also invited the girls to come over, warning them that the team didn't know the baby was a boy yet and they needed to keep it to themselves for now. With everyone gathered together in the family room Alex and Emily served drinks and snacks, both ignoring Garcia's attempts to pry why the team was invited over out of them.

"Okay will one of you please tell us what this is about," Garcia asked impatiently once the two brunettes were seated, Emily with JJ and Alex on the floor with her friends. "I can't wait any longer!"

"Can someone please tell her before she really loses it?" Morgan said, shaking his head at the analyst's impatience.

"It must be big if you guys brought us all here to tell us," Rossi added. "So what's going on?"

"You guys aren't leaving are you?" Garcia asked, suddenly panicked. "Oh my God that's it isn't it? You're leaving the team?"

"No Pen we're not leaving," JJ replied, trying not to laugh. "Em why don't you go get dessert while I explain what's going on."

"Dessert?" Reid asked in confusion. "It's bad news isn't it?"

"Actually it's great news," Alex smiled, her friends also looking like they were trying not to laugh.

"Wait they all know?" Garcia said loudly.

"Alex told them yes," JJ replied with a laugh. "And Emily and I have been meaning to tell you guys, but we decided we wanted to get a bit more creative," she explained.

"So what is it?" Hotch asked, Haley also looking intrigued beside him.

"Well as you guys know I went to the hospital last weekend after the whole incident at the store," JJ began. "To be sure everything was okay my doctor did an ultrasound and…"

"Oh my God you're having twins!" Garcia interrupted excitedly.

"No Garcia," JJ laughed just as Emily came in carrying the cake.

"Baby Girl let the girl finish," Morgan said.

"It's not twins," JJ repeated, shaking her head. "But we did find out the sex," she smiled, as the team looked on expectantly with big smiles on their faces.

"And?" Reid asked.

"And I think one of you should cut that cake and find out," Emily suggested.

"Oh me! Let me!" Garcia shouted.

"Actually I think Alex should do the honours," JJ said, with a smile, holding the knife out towards the teen.

With a smile Alex took the knife, moving to kneel down in front of JJ where the cake sat on the coffee table. Still not knowing what to expect, Alex tentatively sliced through the cake, smiling as she peaked the blue cake underneath.

"Well guys," Alex smiled, making a second cut so she could lift the piece of cake up to show the team. "It's a…"

"Boy!" Garcia yelled as soon as the blue came into view. "Oh I'm so excited!" She squealed, quickly standing and bounding over towards Emily and JJ to throw her arms around them.

"Congratulations Blondie," Morgan said as he embraced the blonde. "Princess," he smiled, giving Emily a hug as well.

"Looks like Jack will have a little buddy to play with huh," Hotch said as he and Haley also came over to congratulate the couple.

"You bet," JJ smiled.

"You guys must be thrilled," Rossi said.

"Completely ecstatic," Emily replied, taking JJ's hand in hers.

"And what about you Alex?" Reid asked. "Are you excited?"

"I couldn't be happier," Alex grinned as JJ threw her arm around the teen's shoulder.

"Well I think we ought to eat some of this cake in honour of the little man," Morgan suggested as everyone returned to their seats.

"I think you're right," Emily agreed, moving to finish cutting the cake while Alex returned to her friends. As everyone continued to discuss the baby Emily passed out cake, only returning to her seat beside JJ when everyone had a share.

"Mom can you pass me a fork?" Alex asked, the entire room falling silent as Emily attempted to ignore the jump she felt in her stomach, handing Alex a fork with a smile.

Not wanting to make a big deal of Alex calling Emily mom JJ immediately brought up decorating the nursery, the team taking the hint and joining in as they discussed colours and possible themes.

As Emily sat, half listening to her friends talking, she couldn't help letting her gaze fall on her daughter who was talking happily with her own friends across the room. Feeling JJ take her hand, Emily gave the blonde a smile, feeling overwhelmed by love and feeling incredibly happy to be a mom.


	9. A Dance With a Father

**Well my friends the time has come to finish up this little story in my series. I had this idea for this chapter and I honestly went back and forth about doing it, but ultimately I decided to include it as my ending (because I couldn't resist a cheesy, happy ending). I really hope you guys enjoy it!**

**I already know what I'm doing with my next story and basically have all the big details worked out, so now I just have to get started! Hopefully the beginning won't take too long!**

**As always thank you so much for sticking with me! -J**

**Chapter 9 – A Dance with a Father**

"Thanks for doing this," Alex said as she bent her head over the Hastings' bathtub so Spencer could shampoo her hair. "It's really hard to do this with one hand," she said raising her left arm, which was still incased in a cast.

"It's no problem," Spencer laughed. "I mean we can't have you going to school looking like you don't wash your hair," she said, using a cup to pour water over Alex's head to rinse out the shampoo. "I bet you can't wait to get that thing off."

"If all goes well it'll be off on Monday and I'll probably cry if it doesn't," Alex replied as Spencer began running conditioner through her long locks. "I'm sick of trying to keep this thing dry, and the itchiness is unbearable."

"Well I'm sure it'll be fine and you can be rid of it," Spencer replied, her smile evident in her voice as she began rinsing the conditioner from Alex's hair. "Alright all done," she eventually said, helping Alex stand before handing her a towel for her hair.

"Thanks," Alex smiled. "That feels much better," she said as she made her way towards Spencer's room, her friend not far behind.

"So my dad wanted me to tell you that you're welcome to come with us Friday night," Spencer said, taking a seat on her bed as Alex sat in front of the mirror so she could brush her hair. "I mean he's already taking me and Melissa."

"That's really sweet, but I told you I really don't want to go," Alex replied, having had this conversation more than once in the last week. "Plus it's a father daughter dance. He should spend it with you and Melissa."

"Yeah but you're here all the time anyways Lex," Spencer argued. "You're basically an adopted daughter. Plus we're all going. I mean even Olivia is putting her anger at her dad aside and letting her dad take her. It's a tradition."

"It seems kind of old fashion to me," Alex said, putting her brush down and sitting on the chair in the corner of the room, lifting her knees up to her chest.

"Well what did your mom say?" Spencer then asked. "Because you know lots of girls bring their moms."

"I didn't tell her," Alex shrugged. "There's never any guarantee that she'll be in town and I didn't want her to feel bad if she couldn't make it," she explained. "Look it's fine okay. You guys go and have fun and I'll either stay home with my mom and JJ or hang out here with your mom if they're not back yet. You don't have to worry about me Spence."

"I know, I just really want you to come," Spencer replied, a slight whine in her voice. "It's going to be a lot of fun and it just sucks because we're going to miss our sleepover."

"Well then we can have a sleepover Saturday night," Alex replied with a grin, shaking her head. "Now can you please just let this go?"

"Fine, alright," Spencer sighed. "Come on let's go downstairs. I want ice cream," she said, dropping the subject and heading for the door.

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"So what were you and Logan talking about at lunch today?" Zoey asked the next day after school as she, Spencer and Alex walked toward the Hastings' house from the bus-stop; Zoey coming over to work on a project with Spencer. "I mean you two looked awfully love-dovey," she teased.

"We were just talking," Alex shrugged, tucking her face into her jacket in order to hide the blush that she knew was creeping up her face. "I had dinner at his house last week and he was just telling me how much his mom likes me."

"You guys are so cute together," Zoey sighed. "It's sickening really," she joked.

"I agree," Spencer laughed.

"Gee thanks guys," Alex replied, giving Zoey a light shove as they reached Spencer's house, turning onto the front walkway. "I'm just gonna run in and grab my house key so I can go feed Serg…" she began saying, just as a snowball hit her in the back. "What the…" she exclaimed, turning around to find Emily standing on the sidewalk in front of the house, a big grin on her face. "Mom!" The teen called, running back and allowing the older brunette to pull her into a hug. "I didn't think you'd be back today."

"We got a pretty big break and caught the guy, and I thought we'd surprise you," Emily explained, kissing the teen's head as Zoey and Spencer came over.

"Surprise me by pelting me with a snowball?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well it was just too tempting to resist," Emily smiled. "How are you girls doing?" She then asked, turning her attention to her daughter's friends.

"We're good," Spencer smiled as Zoey nodded her agreement.

"Hey I'm just going to run inside and get my stuff," Alex said, already running back towards the house, leaving Emily to talk with the other two teens.

"Where's JJ?" Zoey asked, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm.

"Inside," Emily replied. "We just got back and I noticed you guys coming down the road," she explained. "Jen was starving though. Said she couldn't wait."

"Alex said she's been all about the sweets lately," Spencer said with a laugh.

"Oh yeah," Emily nodded. "She can't get enough. The other night I woke up in the middle of the night and she was sitting in bed eating Skittles," she told them. "It was like 3am. She claimed the baby just had to have them."

"Oh wow," Zoey said, both teens laughing as they pictured it. "That's actually way too funny."

"It could definitely be worse," Emily replied as she noticed Alex returning from the house. "I mean at least her cravings haven't been too gross," she said just as Alex reached them. "You ready kid?"

"Definitely," Alex smiled. "You guys have fun with your project."

"Yeah thanks," Spencer replied. "And you know if you change your mind about tomorrow night, the offer still stands," she reminded Alex unnecessarily for the third time today.

"I know," Alex said. "I'll see you at school tomorrow," she said, putting an arm around her mother and heading home.

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An hour later Emily walked into the family room after throwing in a load of laundry, to find Alex and JJ curled up on the couch; a bag of gummy worms sitting between them.

"Jen you do know that candy isn't a suitable dinner for children right?" Emily said, flopping down beside the teen.

"I don't mind," Alex replied, biting a worm in half with a grin.

"I'm sure you don't," Emily laughed, snatching the other half of the worm from Alex's hand and popping it in her mouth; the teen opening her mouth in surprise. "I thought we could probably use a proper meal though. I called for takeout since I really don't feel like cooking tonight."

"Chinese?" JJ asked hopefully.

"Yes Chinese," Emily replied, shaking her head in amusement at the blonde's happiness. "So how about we put the candy away for now?" She suggested.

"Yes mom," JJ relented, moving the bag from the couch onto the side table as Alex giggled beside her.

"You are a terrible influence Jennifer," Emily said, poking Alex in the side as she continued to laugh.

"I know," JJ smiled, putting an arm around Alex and running her fingers through her long locks. "But you love me."

"Hmm, yeah," Emily agreed, the three falling into silence as they enjoyed the moment together, none of them moving until their food was delivered some twenty minutes later.

Not in the mood for a formal dinner, and not wanting to dirty dishes the three ate in the living room, each starting with their favourites and then exchanging cartons as they watched TV, Sergio slinking around at their feet.

"Hey Lex, what was Spencer talking about earlier?" Emily asked as she took a bite out of a chicken ball. "What's tomorrow night? Aren't the girls coming over?"

"No they've got plans so they'll stay here next weekend," Alex explained, continuing to eat, knowing that this conversation was going to result in a big talk from both females.

"You guys never miss a Friday night," JJ said in surprise. "Where are they all going?"

"They're going to this charity dinner thing at the school," Alex replied sounding nonchalant.

"And you don't like charity?" Emily asked sounding confused. "Why aren't you going?"

"It's a dinner, dance thing and I'm just really not into it," Alex replied. "I bought a ticket though so technically I contributed."

"Yeah but why don't you just go?" JJ asked. "I mean won't Logan be there?"

"No," Alex sighed. "It's a father daughter dance," she explained, not missing the sad looks both women were now giving her. "And before either of you say anything I'm fine okay. I just really don't want to go."

"You know one of us cold take you Lex," Emily said, assuming Alex didn't want to go because she didn't have a dad to take her. "I'm sure there are other girls who will be bringing their mothers."

"I know there will be," Alex agreed. "And I'd be fine taking either one of you with me, but like I said I don't want to go," she said. "I mean I'd much rather just stay home with both of you and hang out."

"Well we can definitely do that," JJ smiled. "We can have that Disney marathon you've been trying to talk us into for the last few months," she suggested knowing Alex enjoyed watching kids movies when she was feeling down.

"Yeah that sounds like a good plan," Emily quickly agreed, her stomach sinking in disappointment for her daughter. "That work for you?"

"Yeah definitely," Alex agreed with a smile, not missing the look on Emily's face. "That'll be a lot of fun," she said, sounding overly cheery in hopes of quelling her mother's worry. "I can't wait!"

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"Em she said she was fine," JJ said the next morning as she and Emily stepped off the elevator at work. "And I genuinely think she meant it. She doesn't want to go to the dance," she said. "I think you need to let this go."

"I just don't understand why she wouldn't want to go," Emily argued. "I mean her friends are going. I offered to take her; Peter Hastings offered to take her and yet she still doesn't want to," she said. "I mean do you think maybe she really is embarrassed to go with one of us?"

"Em she slapped the last girl who made a comment about us," JJ reminded the brunette. "She's not ashamed. She said herself that she would gladly take one of us but she doesn't want to go, and you can't force her," she said. "You're worrying about this too much."

"I know," Emily sighed in frustration. "It's just so hard because she keeps so much to herself. I don't want her to miss out of things because she's afraid to really tell us how she feels," she continued. "I'm just worried that maybe this whole thing is harder for her than she's willing to admit."

"I'm sure it is hard for her," JJ agreed. "I mean this is one of those things that is obviously going to make her miss her dad, and at some point she may be willing to talk about that," she said, taking Emily's hand in hers. "For now though I think you just need to try not to worry, and do what Alex asked. She wants to spend the night with us, so let's just do that okay?"

"Okay," Emily agreed reluctantly. "I don't know what kind of school throws a dance like this anyways," she grumbled.

"I'm sure they had good intentions," JJ smiled, giving the brunette's hand a loving squeeze. "Now how about you get to work Agent Prentiss, I do believe you owe me some reports."

"Yes ma'am," Emily said, giving the blonde a mock salute, earning her a slap before JJ headed in the direction of her office, her laughter heard the whole way there.

Still worrying, but knowing she had work to do Emily headed for her desk, willing herself to focus on her case files and not Alex for the rest of the day. The Profiler immediately set to work, picking up a pen and opening up her top file, only stopping as each of her teammates made their way in, greeting them and asking about their nights before getting back to work. The brunette had fallen into a rhythm and thought she was doing well until she read through a file about a man who had been killed, leaving behind 2 young daughters. Emily's heart broke for the two little girls who would have to grow up without a father, her thoughts of course then falling to Alex, who had also lost her life with her father, something, which Emily couldn't get back for her.

"Penny for your thoughts there Princess?" Morgan called, having noticed that Emily seemed to be staring off into space. "Prentiss," he called again, successfully pulling the brunette out of her daze. "You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah," she said, shaking her head as if to get her thoughts back in order. "Just thinking about Alex."

"Everything okay?" Morgan asked in concern.

"Yeah it's just…" Emily began, biting her lip. "When you were a teen did you ever feel like you were missing out on things after your dad passed? I mean it must have been hard going all those years without your dad."

"Well yeah," Morgan replied. "But my mom was there. She always did her best to be both parents for us when she could," he explained. "Did something happen with Lex?"

"Not really," Emily shook her head. "But there's this father-daughter dance at school tonight. She insists she's fine and she doesn't want to go, but I don't know…I guess I'm kind of feeling guilty about it."

"Guilty?" Morgan asked, looking confused. "Why guilty?"

**"**Because I can't give her a father," Emily said quietly. "I mean I know that she's happy with me and Jen, but a part of me can't help wondering if she feels like she's missing out not having a dad," she explained. "I basically grew up without a father around and I know how hard that can be. I just want to make sure that she's happy."

"Em," Morgan said sympathetically. "I think you're being way too hard on yourself. Alex loves you so much, and considering everything she's been through she's a really well adjusted, happy kid," he assured her. "Do I think she misses her father? Probably. But Em you're doing everything you can for that kid, and you love her so much. That's all that matters."

At these words Emily blinked away tears, emotional by the incredible support from her friend. "Thanks Derek," she practically whispered, the emotion evident in her voice.

"Always," Morgan smiled, giving the brunette a wink, an idea coming to him that he decided to keep to himself for the time being. "Now we better get back to work before that woman of yours catches us slacking off," he said pointing up towards JJ's office. "I still owe her some files."

"Me too," Emily grinned. "We better get to work."

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"So you're really not going?" Logan asked Alex that day at lunch, the pair sitting off on their own, while Alex's friends constantly glanced their way.

"Oh God not you too," Alex groaned. "No I am not going. But it's really not a big deal, so can we please stop making it one?"

"Alright, alright," Logan laughed. "I'm sorry. We won't talk about it, but you know if you're not going we could hang out tonight," he suggested.

"No can do," Alex replied. "I'm hanging out at home. My parents are hardly ever home and I'm taking advantage of it. We made plans. Sorry."

"Don't be," Logan said. "I completely understand," he smiled. "I'm surprised that Emily isn't insisting on taking you to the dance though."

"She did offer," Alex explained. "But she would never force me to go if I said I didn't want to."

"Which you don't,"

"Right," Alex smiled.

"Can I ask you something though?" Logan asked, receiving a nod in reply. "If your dad was still here is this something you would have gone to?"

"He would have made me," Alex smiled wistfully. "My dad lived for these kind of things. He loved anything that meant it was just the two of us hanging out. He would have loved it," she said, a small, sad smile on her face.

"I'm sorry," Logan said, reaching out and taking the brunette's hand. "I wish he could be here," he said, squeezing her hand.

"Thanks," Alex replied quietly. "Me too."

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**"**Lex are you coming downstairs soon?" Emily called upstairs about half an hour after she and JJ returned from work. "I thought you wanted to make dinner together."

"I'm just talking to Rachel," Alex called down the stairs. "Ten more minutes."

"Alright," Emily replied loudly, listening as the teen returned to her room, laughing at something her friend had obviously said.

Knowing Alex was likely to take longer than ten minutes Emily made her way into the living room where she knew JJ was currently lounging, having been complaining that her ankles were getting sore.

"Hey Pretty Girl, how you doing?" Emily asked as she found the blonde lying across the couch.

"Ugh," JJ groaned in reply, her arm over her face.

"That good huh," Emily laughed, lifting JJ's feet so she could take a seat, immediately beginning to massage them, earning an appreciative moan in reply.

"God I love you," JJ sighed a few minutes later as Emily continued her massage.

"I love you too," Emily smiled lovingly.

The pair sat in comfortable silence a while longer, the muffled sounds of Alex's laughter coming through the house. JJ's eyes just began to drift shut when the sound of the doorbell filled the house, causing blue eyes to pop open in confusion.

"You expecting anyone?" JJ asked sounding tired.

"Nope," Emily shrugged getting up from her place. "Maybe it's one of the girls," she said as she headed for the door surprised when she opened it to find Derek Morgan standing on the other side looking rather dressed up.

"Hey Derek," Emily greeted. "Were we expecting you?"

"Uh no, not exactly," Morgan replied as he stepped into the house. "But I…I thought I'd come see if Alex would let me take her to the dance," he explained.

"Em who's at the…oh hey Derek," JJ said as she came up beside her girlfriend. "You look nice."

"Derek you don't have to do that," Emily said, unsure if Alex would even agree to going to the dance with the profiler.

"I know that Em," Morgan replied. "But I want you to know that I'm always here for you guys. Plus I want to do this."

"You're a good guy you know that," Emily smiled. "I don't know if she'll go, but you can definitely ask her," she said, moving to the stand at the bottom of the stairs. "Lex can you come down here please," she called. "There's someone here to see you."

"One minute," Alex yelled back, the sounds of her footsteps coming down the stairs not too long after. "Hey Derek," the teen smiled, greeting her mother's friend. "What's up?"

"Well your mom told me about the dance," Morgan explained, seeing the teen throwing her mother a disbelieving look. "And before you say anything, I understand you said you're fine and you don't want to go, but before you refuse hear me out okay?" He said, as the teen reluctantly nodded. "I know I'm not your father and I have no intention of trying to be that, but I care about you Alex, and I'm always willing to fill in. And you can say no if you really want to, but if you'd let me I'd really like to take you to the dance tonight," he said, both Alex and JJ's eyes shining with tears. "Because I would be incredibly honoured if you'd be my daughter for the night."

At a slight loss for words as she blinked back tears, Alex opened and closed her mouth several times before finally running a hand through her hair with a sigh. "I'd like that very much," she finally replied.

"Great," Morgan replied, a big smile on his face.

"I can help you get ready," JJ said excitedly, taking Alex's hand in hers.

"Okay," Alex smiled. "I'll be fast," she said, making it to the stairs before dropping JJ's hand and quickly turning around, making her way back to Morgan and throwing her arms around him. "Thanks Derek."

"Anytime Princess," Morgan replied, returning the hug before watching the teen head back towards the stairs where JJ was waiting.

"You know you're a great friend Derek Morgan," Emily said, taking her friend's hand in hers. "Thank you for this. It means more than you know."

"Anytime Em," Morgan smiled. "Anytime."

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Spencer, Olivia and Zoey had been surprised when Alex showed up at their table with Morgan, all three quickly getting up to give their friend a hug. Morgan had immediately begun chatting with the other dads, fitting right in as they all began discussing football and their jobs. Since they were late, dinner was served not long after Morgan and Alex arrived, everyone enjoying their meal while they asked the girls about school and their various extra-curriculars.

Dinner went by rather quickly, prompting the beginning of the dancing, the girls immediately making their way out onto the dance floor as one of their favourite songs came on. After quite a few fast songs Alex and Olivia left the floor to take a break, Derek offering to get them some drinks.

"So how's everything going with your dad?" Alex asked as she and Olivia took a seat at their empty table.

"Not bad actually," Olivia replied. "I mean it's a little weird, but I'm doing my best to forgive him. I hate what he did but he's my dad," she shrugged.

"That's great," Alex smiled.

"It's nice that Derek brought you here," Olivia then said nodding towards the beverage table where Morgan was currently filling glasses for them.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool of him to offer," Alex agreed.

"Definitely," Olivia nodded. "And you totally have the hottest dad here," the blonde pointed out.

"Oh God," Alex laughed. "If you say so."

"Oh I do," Olivia said. "The man is a God," she said making Alex burst into laughter.

"Here you go pretty ladies," Morgan interrupted, handing both girls a glass of punch. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing," Olivia smirked, taking a big sip of her drink to hide her laughter, her face slightly red.

"Okay then," Morgan replied, taking a seat in the chair next to Alex. "You having fun Princess?"

"Yeah definitely," Alex nodded. "Thanks for doing this. I'm really glad I came."

"It's my pleasure," Morgan replied just as the music changed to a slow song. "Now do you think I can get a dance with my girl now?" He asked, offering his hand to the teen.

"Sure," Alex smiled, taking Morgan hand as Olivia's dad came over to get her to dance as well. "You know it was really nice of you to do this," she said as the pair met in the middle of the dance floor. "I mean I know I didn't want to come at first, but I was really missing my dad," she admitted. "I feel a lot better now."

"I'm glad," Morgan smiled. "And you know kid, I'm here for you whenever you need me. For anything," he said. "You're Emily's kid and that means you're family."

"Thanks Derek," Alex replied emotionally. "I…I love you."

"I love you too Princess," Morgan replied with a big smiled. "So much."

**CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM-CM**

It was after 10pm by the time Morgan dropped Alex off at home, the teen running to the front door, waving the profiler off before making her way inside where she could hear the television on in the family room.

"Hey," Alex called as she made her way into the room where Emily and JJ were curled up together on the couch.

"Hey," Emily smiled. "How was it?"

"It was actually a lot of fun," Alex replied taking a seat on Emily's other side, folding her legs beneath her as she leaned into the older brunette. "Morgan's a pretty good dancer, and according to Olivia I had the hottest dad there."

"Oh God that girl," JJ laughed. "I hope you didn't tell Morgan that one. It'll go straight to his head."

"Nah I kept that one to myself," Alex giggled. "Sorry I skipped out on our movie night. What have you guys been doing?"

"Don't worry about it," Emily brushed off. "We're glad you had a good time."

"Exactly," JJ agreed. "We've just been relaxing and watching whatever this is," she said pointing to the TV screen.

"And Jen's been sleeping," Emily laughed.

"I have not," JJ argued.

"Babe you were out for like an hour."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," JJ replied, trying to hold back a smile.

"Well do you think you guys could stay up a little longer?" Alex asked. "We could at least watch one movie together," she suggested.

"I think that sounds wonderful," Emily replied putting an arm around the teen, kissing her cheek.

"Great," Alex smiled, getting up to put in a movie before returning to the couch and cozying up to Emily.

As she got comfy, looking over to the two older women, seeing that JJ already looked half asleep while Emily couldn't look happier, Alex took a moment to appreciate how truly amazing her family was. Between Emily and JJ, the BAU team and her friends, Alex couldn't help thinking that she had the best family there was and she felt incredibly grateful for that.

"I love you guys," the teen smiled, happy to end a wonderful night with two wonderful mothers.

**THE END!**

**Stay tuned for the next story, which I will get to you as soon as I can!**


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